


Here We Go

by asliceoftoast



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 44,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asliceoftoast/pseuds/asliceoftoast
Summary: April is the new English teacher at seattle Grace High whole Jackson is the new History teacher. After meeting each other at the new teachers orientation, a small workplace crush develops between the two. How will April concentrate on not embarrassing herself in front of a classful of teenagers when her mind constantly wanders to her handsome coworker?





	1. Chapter 1

**April**   

Today I woke up before my alarm. After deciding that laying in bed would do me no good, I relinquished my comfort under the covers and started a warm shower. Mid-August in Seattle didn't mean that the air was cool, but it wasn't super warm either. After I washed my hair and dried myself off, I walked over to my closet and stared at my clothes. A cream blouse paired with a black pencil skirt, mature but still modest. Today was the new teachers orientation at Seattle Grace High.

Since I was a young girl, it had been my dream to be a teacher and work with children since I adored them, but the only opportunity available for teachers in the district had been at Seattle Grace High. I was nervous about going back to high school every day as my initial experience had been terrible. All my sisters were popular and had fit in well with the crowd. However, I struggled to thrive in that environment. With pimples scattered all over my face, bulky braces, frizzy auburn hair, and thick glasses combined with hormonal judgmental teens, I was the joke of the school. My appearance hadn't made it easy, but I persevered and graduated valedictorian. By the time I was ready to enter the working world, my acne disappeared, the braces removed, and had undergone Lasik surgery to correct my vision. I had figured out the world of hair products and makeup. I no longer looked like the dorky kid I was when I started high school, yet my insecurities still haunted me daily. I was not ready for the judgmental stares of high school students again. 

After I said a quick prayer to calm myself, I went downstairs and grabbed some yogurt from the fridge. I finished it and left for Seattle Grace High. The traffic wasn't so bad, but I knew once the students' summer vacation was over and all the kids were back, the streets heading to school would be crammed with inexperienced drivers. After I looped around the school twice, I eventually found the staff parking lot. I pulled out my phone and checked the instructions I had received from the principal about this orientation. I was supposed to meet in the gym for a quick tour of the campus before I met the rest of the staff and headed off to meetings with my department. I was going to teach English to the incoming freshman. Literature had always been a passion of mine and now I was making a career teaching the things I loved.

I headed over to the gym and found no one was there. I glanced at my watch to see it was 8:50. I was ten minutes early. I tugged on the doors only to find them locked. I would have to stand outside until the others arrived. The heels I chose to wear today would not make that task easy. 

After about five minutes of waiting, a tall man dressed in a light blue dress shirt and navy blue dress pants jogged towards the gym. He was well built with a little scruff decorating his strong jaw. His olive skin glistened with tiny beads of sweat and his brows furrowed, highlighting his piercing blue-green eyes. Of all the guys I had seen, he was the most attractive of them all. The man looked around before leaned back onto the exterior of the gym. I examined him head-to-toe but tore my eyes away when I realized I was staring.

"Hi," he said, "My name's Jackson." I glanced up to see him looking at me. I peeked around to make sure he was speaking to me.

"Yes, I'm talking to you. There's not really anyone else around to talk to," Jackson said while flashing me a breathtaking smile. My breath got caught in my throat and I just stared at him, my mouth slightly parted. 

"So are you going to talk to me or are you going to stare at me with your mouth open?" I quickly closed my mouth and gathered my thoughts. I was never really good with social interactions. I never really had friends and when I did talk, it always came out as a nervous ramble. I let out a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry. Hi, my name is April Kepner. I'm here for the new teachers orientation. I'm going to teach English to the incoming freshmen. And you?" I responded with a nervous smile.

"Well, first of all, it's nice to meet you," Jackson responded as he reached out to shake my hand. I shifted my phone to my other hand and shook his. His hand was nice and soft. I was admiring his smooth skin when my thoughts were interrupted. "I'm going to teach History to the incoming freshmen."

"Nice to meet you too." I felt blood rush to my cheeks. It wasn't often that a devastatingly handsome man gave me attention. Actually, it never happened before. I thought I might faint. As I was calming myself down, an older man approached us.

"Sorry, I'm late. My name is Richard Webber. I'm the principal here at Seattle Grace High. I think it's time to get this tour started," he said.

"Mr. Webber it's nice to see you again," I said shakily. I wasn't sure whether to be formal or more casual. In school, my teachers were on a first name basis, but since it was only my second time meeting my boss, I wasn't sure if we were acquainted enough to use first names. 

"April, call me Richard," he replied with a grin. As Richard opened the doors, the faint odor of sweat and floor polish filled the air. "This is the gym. Students have their orientations here. The gym is also where the pep rallies, spirit week competitions, and dances will be held." I peeked at Jackson, analyzing him head-to-toe. He looked like the type of person who was popular in school, a jock. Most likely Prom King or the star quarterback.

We moved towards the front entrance of the gym. The light grey walls were accented by vibrant sheets of paper that dotted the walls. Flyers for clubs and sports teams crowded the wall in front of the main entrance. I peeked closer and grabbed a flyer for the school play, Annie. I loved the theater in high school. As I approached the group again, my heel got stuck between the cracks in the pavement. I fell forward, but soon sturdy hands caught me.

"April, are you okay?" Jackson questioned, noticing my embarrassment. His face was so close to mine I could almost breathe him in.

"I'm fine," I murmured. He looked at the flier in my hand. "I take it you enjoyed theater when you were in high school. I was into sports. Basketball and football to be exact."

“I sorta figured. Your muscles gave it away," I responded. "I wasn't really good at sports. I could throw a frisbee in a straight line but that's about it." We moved towards the main office. The building stood on its own on a slope, almost as if it kept watch over the school. Richard opened the door for us and we entered. An oval room decorated with pictures and awards greeted us. Richard led us through the lobby and showed us where everything was located and where his office was. We exited the building and headed towards the heart of the campus. 

"Seattle Grace High is one of the best high schools in the world. We are competitive and strive for both academic excellence and extracurricular excellence. Our choir has toured the country and our robotics team has made it to nationals. I hope that with the addition of two bright young determined teachers, our stellar reputation will only continue to grow. As we approach the English and History building, I want to show you our quad. To your left is the cafeteria. The food here is cooked fresh every day and teachers get a 10% discount. Continuing straight ahead leads to the computer lab and library. If any piece of technology malfunctions in your classroom, don't be afraid to call the lab. All our technicians are well trained to fix your technical issues." Richard paused and looked at us to make sure we were following. "The classrooms for English and History are to your right," he continued, "This is where you will be spending a majority of your time." Richard whipped out a paper and put on his glasses. "Hmm. It looks like you two have neighboring classes." I glanced at Jackson and smiled. It was nice to know I had a friend next door. "And finally," Richard concluded, "the break room and print room are located in the Math and Science department building. That building is located behind the library. Bathrooms are scattered all around campus. Here are the keys to your classrooms. I'll leave you two to get acquainted better before showing you to your department meeting. You might want to check out your rooms. They may be a little dusty."

I moved towards the room I was going to teach in. I tried to peek inside, but the shutters blocked my view. Sliding the small silver key into the lock, I turned. Click. I reached for the knob and turned. The door opened up and I walked into the dark room. It was plain, but with all my educational posters, the room would soon be full of energy. Jackson walked into my room behind me and closed the door. He flicked on the light and pulled out a chair. I sat behind a large desk and closed my eyes. A bright classroom filled with young adults teased my imagination. 

"So tell me about yourself April."

"There's not much to tell," I started. "My name is April Kepner. I'm from Moline, Ohio. My dad is a farmer. He grows corn. My mom is also a teacher. I have three sisters. Libby, Kimmie, and Alice. Libby's the oldest, I'm second, Kimmie's third, and Alice is last. I had lots of pets growing up and I went to church every week. Your turn."

"Oh, okay. My name's Jackson Avery but you know that already. Ummm. I come from a family of surgeons. A really big award in the surgical field is named after my grandpa." My jaw dropped. He was from medical royalty. Jackson noticed this but continued. "I know. Medical royalty. You're probably wondering why I didn't become a doctor. Well, I wanted freedom. I didn't want to be stuck with a legacy I had to uphold. My family didn't want me to become a teacher but eventually, they learned that I wasn't changing my mind so they gave up. I'm the pretty one. They never expected much of me. Probably thought I would be a model or something, use my good looks. I wanted to do something with my life, change the world, so I became a teacher." I was floored by his honesty and openness. I was a stranger to him but he was telling me all this personal stuff. Feeling the need for fresh air I tried to open the door. The door wouldn't budge. I leaned into the door and pushed with all my might, but still, the door would not give. 

"April," Jackson whispered in my ear, "do you need help?" His face was close to my ear and his warm breath grazed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I turned around to face him. 

"Yeah," I sighed. "I could really use your muscles." Instinctively, I grabbed my upper lip between my two teeth and started to chew. 

"Do you always do that?" he questioned.

"What?"

"Chew your lip.” 

"Yeah," I answered. "It's a bad habit of mine. Every time I get nervous or bored I chew my lip. Do you have any bad habits?" 

"Of course I do," Jackson responded as he pushed on the door. "I like to collect sneakers. It's sort of an obsession, an expensive one alright. This thing won't budge. Come here and help me. Maybe with both of our weight the door will open." I walked over and leaned on the door, back facing him. "Okay, April. On my count we both push. Three. Two. One." I threw my body weight into the door. The creaky door finally opened up. "You might want to get that thing oiled. Don't want to get trapped inside."

Richard approached us and led us to the meeting rooms in the office. I was meeting with the English department while Jackson met with the History department. I straightened my blouse as I entered the room and stuck my hand out. A soft hand grabbed mine and gave it a firm shake.

"Hi. My name is Miranda Bailey and I am the head of English here at Seattle Grace High." A short African-American greeted me and handed me a stack of papers. "Here are all the notes on our department. You need to familiarize yourself with all this. Behind me are Mr. O'Malley, Ms. Stevens, and Ms. Adamson. They all also teach Freshman Literature." I looked up to see the colleagues I would be working with. Mr. O'Malley looked friendly with round eyes and a nice smile. Ms. Stevens was stunning with blond hair cascading down her back. It was quite obvious that Mr. O'Malley had a crush on Ms. Stevens, but it looked like she didn't feel the same. Ms. Adamson leaned against the wall, her eyes closed and her arms folded. She looked tired, almost mad to be here over her summer vacation. I looked back at Mrs. Bailey. Even though she was pint-sized, she commanded the room with great confidence. "You might want to start preparing handouts for back to school and the first week now. The first week is a little hectic, but once you get into the swing of things, everything gets easier. Our department meets once a month on the first Monday. We go over everything from the syllabus to teaching styles and challenging students. All the teachers here want to see the students succeed so we make it our job to make sure that every student has a chance to receive help. After the first week of school, I'll have a one-on-one with you to see how you are doing. That's all for now. You can decorate your room any way you like as long as it is school appropriate. The guidelines are in the stack of papers I handed you. Good luck."

I walked out of the room and towards the principal's office. I knocked on the door twice before hearing Richard call out saying that the door was open.

"Hi. Mr. Webber, I mean, Richard, the door to my room isn't very easy to open from the inside. I was wondering if we could oil the door joints or something. I wouldn't want to get stuck inside."

"Sure thing. Just call maintenance and it will be fixed by tomorrow." 

"Okay," I responded with a polite smile. With my stack of papers in my arms, I walked back towards my car. On the way over, I checked my watch. It was 1:30. I guess I could grab a late lunch and start preparing for the school year.

"April!" I turned around and looked to see who was calling for me. Jackson jogged over with his department papers in tow. "Do you want to grab some lunch?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Jackson**  

An older man jogged towards April and I. His hair gray and thinning. April began to fidget. I assumed she was nervous. It was really cute watching her bite her lip. It was most likely a subconscious reaction.

"Mr. Webber it's nice to see you again," she said, voice quivering. I gave my boss a smile and nodded as he popped the door open and ushered for us to follow. Mr. Webber, or Richard as he instructed us to call him, led us to the gym. It was a nice and polished room with basketball hoops adorning the walls.

"This is the gym. Students have their orientations here. The gym is also where the pep rallies, spirit week competitions, and dances will be held," Richard began. I looked around, the smell so familiar from practice every day. April looked like a fish out of water. Her composure stiffened, sports were definitely not her thing. I silently chuckled to myself but stilled when I felt her stare at me. 

After the tour of the gym and all its new features, we moved towards the main entrance. Brightly colored flyers grabbed my attention as they contrasted the grey wall. There were all sorts of clubs at this school. I looked over my shoulder to see April grabbing a flyer. She pivoted on her heel and walked back at us, analyzing the paper. Suddenly, she began to fall forward. On instinct, I reached out to her and made sure she didn't fall. Her face flushed and I could feel her heart beating through her chest. 

"April, are you okay?" I questioned gently. April gazed up at me, her hazel eyes had specks of green in them.

"I'm fine," she murmured. I looked at the flyer in her hand. It was for the play Annie.

"I take it you enjoyed theater when you were in high school. I was into sports. Basketball and football to be exact." 

"I sorta figured. Your muscles gave it away," April responded. "I wasn't really good at sports. I could throw a frisbee in a straight line, but that's about it." I examined Apil as we moved towards the main office. She seemed like someone you could trust. She was one of those few people you felt like you knew forever even though you are strangers. Soon my attention was back on the tour. The building we approached was isolated from the rest of the campus. Richard opened the door for us and we entered. An oval room decorated with pictures and awards greeted us. He led us through the lobby and showed us where everything was located and where his office was. We exited the main office and started to head towards our classrooms. 

"Seattle Grace High is one of the best high schools in the world. We are competitive and strive for both academic excellence and extracurricular excellence. Our choir has toured the country and our robotics team has made it to nationals. I hope that with the addition of two bright young determined teachers, our stellar reputation will only continue to grow." Richard emphasized the school's stellar reputation over and over again. Way to not put pressure on the new hires. April looked frazzled with all the information thrown at her. Her expression was remarkably cute. My thoughts were interrupted as Richard continued to talk. "As we approach the English and History building, I want to show you our quad. To your left is the cafeteria. The food here is cooked fresh every day and teachers get a 10% discount. Continuing straight ahead leads to the computer lab and library. If any piece of technology malfunctions in your classroom, don't be afraid to call the lab. All our technicians are well trained to fix your technical issues." Richard paused and looked at us to make sure we were following. "The classrooms for English and History are to your right," he continued, "This is where you will be spending a majority of your time." Richard whipped out a paper and put on his glasses. "Hmm. It looks like you two have neighboring classes." April glanced at me and gave me a polite smile. "And finally," Richard concluded, "the break room and print room are located in the Math and Science department building. That building is located behind the library. Bathrooms are scattered all around campus. Here are the keys to your classrooms. I'll leave you two to get acquainted better before showing you to your department meeting. You might want to check out your rooms. They may be a little dusty."

April moved towards the room she was going to teach in. I stood behind her and glanced at my room. I wanted to see the room I was going to teach in, but getting to know my new attractive coworker took priority. She slid the small silver key into the lock and turned. Click. April opened the door and walked in. I followed after her. I searched around for the light switch before finally finding it and turned on the light. I pulled a dusty old chair out and patted it as April situated herself behind the desk. 

"So tell me about yourself April." April looked shocked was the questioned rolled off my tongue. I guess not many people really tried to get to know her. She looked down shyly before responding. 

"There's not much to tell," I started. "My name is April Kepner. I'm from Moline, Ohio. My dad is a farmer. He grows corn. My mom is also a teacher. I have three sisters. Libby, Kimmie, and Alice. Libby's the oldest, I'm second, Kimmie's third, and Alice is last. I had lots of pets growing up and I went to church every week." I mentally jotted down a list of all the information she was telling me. 

"Your turn." 

"Oh, okay. My name's Jackson Avery, but you know that already. Ummm. I come from a family of surgeons. A really big award in the surgical field is named after my grandpa." I looked over at her to find her mouth slightly agape. "I know. Medical royalty. You're probably wondering why I didn't become a doctor. Well, I wanted freedom. I didn't want to be stuck with a legacy I had to uphold. My family didn't want me to become a teacher, but eventually, they learned that I wasn't changing my mind so they gave up. I'm the pretty one. They never expected much of me. Probably thought I would be a model or something, use my good looks. I wanted to do something with my life, change the world, so I became a teacher." I surprised myself with my openness. Normally, I would not tell strangers about my family name, but the words kept falling out of my mouth. April's personality made her approachable and relatable. April rushed towards the door. Crap, I scared her away with my soapy life story. She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"April," I whispered into her ear, "do you need help?" She turned around to face me. She looked a little panicked and I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in.

"Yeah, I could really use your muscles." I leaned into the door and pushed with all my might, but still, the door would not give. April started to chew on her lip. The motion shifted my attention from her eyes to her lips. Her lips were a gorgeous blush. I peeled my eyes away and calmed myself. "Do you always do that?"

"What?" Apri looked at me puzzled.

"Chew your lip."

"Yeah," she responded, eyes lowered. "It's a bad habit of mine. Every time I get nervous or bored I chew my lip. Do you have any bad habits?"

"Of course I do. I like to collect sneakers. It's sort of an obsession, an expensive one alright." I threw my shoulder against the door, but it wouldn't move. "This thing won't budge. Come here and help me. Maybe with both of our weight the door will open." She walked over and leaned on the door, back facing me. She hair was parted over her shoulder leaving her neck bare. I gazed down and saw little freckles dotting her pale skin. "Okay, April. On my count we both push. Three. Two. One." The creaky door finally opened up. "You might want to get that thing oiled. Don't want to get trapped inside."

Richard approached us again and led us to the meeting rooms in the office. I was meeting with the History department while April met with the English department. I straightened my dress shirt and wiped my hands on my pants before entering the room. 

A blonde woman greeted me with a smile and stuck her hand out. I reached out and gave it a solid shake. 

"Hi," I started before clearing my throat. "My name is Jackson Avery.”

"Hello, Jackson. I'm Arizona Robbins. I know what you are thinking. I am not named after the state. I am named after the U.S.S Arizona. My grandfather was stationed on the battleship when Pearl Harbor was attacked and saved 19 men before he drowned. My dad made sure I knew this. He raised both me and my brother to be history buffs. Anyways, I am the head of the department. While my classes have lessened since I took this position, I still teach two classes of AP US History." Ms. Robbins handed me a stack of papers. "You have to fill this out and turn them into the office before the school year starts. Some are just basic information forms, but others are information sheets about meetings and deadlines." I looked around to see three other teaches seated at the table. One had short brown hair and wore a smug grin. Another had loose wavy brunette hair grace her soft features. The last one at short red hair. "Mr. Alex Karev, Ms. Lexie Grey, and Mr. Owen Hunt also teach History. Mr. Karev is also the schools wrestling coach." As Ms. Robbins said this Alex flex his arm, showing off his muscles. I rolled my eyes but continues to listen as my orientation continued. "Ms. Grey is in charge of the History bowl every year and Mr. Hunt helps run the music foundation at school along with Mrs. Bailey. Miranda Bailey is the English department's head. I hope that you can settle in quickly and find your place." Arizona flashed me a smile. I grabbed the papers she had handed to me and headed for the door.

I exited the meeting room and peeked into the room April was in. She wasn't there, but the meeting couldn't have ended too long ago. I rushed towards the door and saw her headed towards the staff parking lot.

"April!" I called out. April turned around and looked to see who was calling her. I jogged over to her while making sure not to drop any papers. I wanted to ask her to lunch to get to know her better. It didn't hurt that she was quite attractive. I opened my mouth to speak and the words came tumbling out. "Do you want to grab some lunch?" Once I said it I immediately regretted it. We had something good going and now my stupid mouth ruined it. I didn't need to wait for a verbal answer. Her shocked expression said it all. April blinked a few times but eventually responded to me.

 "Okay," she said hesitantly, "Where do you want to go?". I silently let go of the breath I was holding. I was relieved that she hadn't rejected me on the spot. She didn't seem like the person to do things spontaneously. 

"Uhh. I was thinking about heading towards downtown Seattle. I haven't been yet and I would like to check it out. We can explore since we're both new to the area." I kicked myself for not knowing a good restaurant to eat at beforehand, but I also wasn't expecting to ask anyone out. April looked at me and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Sure that's fine with me. How about this, I'll go home and change out of these really uncomfortable heels. You can find a restaurant to eat at. Any type of food. I'm flexible. Just text me the address and I'll meet you there in around half an hour." April looked confident with her solution and started to walk towards her car. 

"I don't have your phone number." April spun around on one heel and held her hand out. I placed my unlocked phone in it. She created a new contact for herself and dashed off towards her car. My mouth was stuck in a smile for the next ten minutes as I drove home to change into some casual clothes. Then it struck me, I had a crush on a person I met a couple of hours ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**April**

It was a silent drive back to my house. I hadn't configured the Bluetooth in the car to my phone yet, but I didn't want to listen to the radio, so I was left to drive in silence. I couldn't believe I had just given my number to a guy I didn't know that well, let alone agree to go out to lunch with him. I know I told myself that I would be bolder once I moved from Moline, but that surge confidence surprised me. My thoughts were interrupted by my buzzing cell phone. It was my sister.

"Hi, Libby."

"Duckie!" I cringed at the nickname. No matter how many time I told my family to stop calling me that, the nickname stuck. "How are things in Seattle? Meet anybody?"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that," I scolded. "The weather here is fine. It's not absurdly hot, but it's not chilly either. Seattle is nothing like Moline. There are so many people here. No, I haven't met anyone yet. I only moved here a few weeks ago. How would I have time to meet someone?" I considered telling her about Jackson but decided against it. Libby would make a huge deal about it and everyone in Moline would know about him in a week. After all, he was just a friend. I pulled up into my driveway and parked. I entered my house and went upstairs to get changed. "Even if I did meet someone, why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm your older sister," Libby retorted, "Anyways, Joseph is getting married and pretty much everyone is invited. That includes you." Shocked, I tripped over the last step and fell. "April! What was that sound?"

"Oh, nothing. I just tripped and dropped my phone." I rubbed my knee as it began to sting. "Joseph, as in, the guy I went to homecoming with and had a major crush on in high school."

"Ugh. You are such a klutz," she groaned, her voice laced with annoyance. "Of course it's homecoming Joseph. What other Joseph is there in Moline?" I rolled my eyes. Of all the weddings I expected to get invited to, Joseph's was not one of them. I turned the speakerphone on and moved towards my closet. I looked at my clothes and decided on a nice, off the shoulder, summer dress with nude flats. "Well if you decide to come, you will need a date. That a problem for you?" My patience with Libby was starting to wear thin. She always had to rub my single status in my face.

"No, it will not be a problem. Jeez, Libby," I chided, "I'm not an acne-prone teenager with braces anymore. I can get myself a date before Joseph's wedding." Crap. I had just implied that I would come. Silently, I facepalmed. My hope of making an excuse to avoid going disappeared.

"That's great April. I'll tell Mom that you're coming and that you're bringing a plus one. She will RSVP for the both of you. The wedding is on October 8th. Make sure your calendar is free for that weekend. Oh, what am I saying? Of course, it is! Bye, sis!"

"Wait! Libby," I yelled out and lunged for my phone, but it was too late. Libby had already hung up. I placed my phone back onto my dresser and rubbed my temples. How would I get a date in a month? My phone buzzed, preventing me from sulking. It had better not be Libby again. I didn't think I could deal with her twice in a day. Instead, it was text from Jackson.

Received: Hey. This is Jackson. I found a restaurant. Pike Place Chowder. 1530 Post Alley. Meet you in 15.

I picked up my phone and crafted a response. Once I was happy with what the text said, I hit send. I put the address into maps. On the way out, I grabbed my sunglasses. I locked the front door and started up my car. I made it to the restaurant with two minutes to spare. Traffic was a little lighter since some people were on summer vacation. I parked and walked towards the entrance with my purse in hand. Jackson stood by the door.

"Jackson," I called out. He looked up and gave me another one of his breathtaking smiles. He was no longer wearing a dress shirt but was instead in a light gray t-shirt with khaki shorts. His shirt showed off his toned biceps and I couldn't stop myself from staring. I jogged over. "Am I late?" I peeked my watch, but Jackson quickly assured me that I was on time. Jackson opened the door for me and I walked through.

"Nice dress," he remarked. I blushed under his gaze and fidgeted with sunglasses. I mentally reminded myself that this wasn't a date, but just a luncheon between two friends. With the back of my hand, I moved my long hair over my shoulder. The ac in the restaurant felt good against my bare shoulders.

"Thanks." My heart started to speed up. I mentally scolded myself for fawning over Jackson. There was no way that a man like him would be interested in a girl like me. The hostess seated us quickly as the lunchtime crowd had died down. As we approached the table, Jackson surged out in front of me and pulled out my chair. "Thanks," I repeated. The hostess placed menus in front of us and a waitress appeared with a notepad in hand.

"Can I get you started with any drinks?" The waitress cast one glance at Jackson and was absolutely smitten.

"One cola please," Jackson requested. The waitress nodded speechlessly. Her gaze was stuck on Jackson and a prickly feeling in my chest arose. She appeared to have forgotten about me. Jackson didn't seem to notice this as he was smiling at me.

"I'll have a glass of water please," I told the waitress, breaking her trance. She left, leaving the two of us alone.

"So," Jackson started, "how do you like Seattle?" He looked at his menu then up to me.

"I only moved here a couple of weeks ago so I haven't really explored the city or gone sightseeing. Seattle is the opposite of Moline. It's such a big city. How do you like Seattle?" I glanced at the menu and decided on what I wanted to eat.

"Seattle is just slightly bigger than Boston so I adjusted pretty quickly. I moved here around a month ago right after I got confirmation that I got the job." Jackson flashed me a smile. "A friend of mine does this thing where she tells five facts about herself to get to know someone. I'll go first. One. I love waffles. You can never have enough of them. Two. I can't cook so I order takeout every day. Three. I hate eating leftovers. It's so depressing to heat up a container and then eat out of it. Don't even get me started on throw pillows. Those things are a waste of fabric. That was four. Hmm. What else? Oh! Five. When I was little, I had an imaginary friend who was half troll, half gremlin. He feasted off the tears of my enemies." I laughed a little nearly choking on the water I was sipping. "Hey, no judgment. Froddo was the best friend a kid could ask for." I placed my cup down.

"Well, for starters, I'll have you know I love throw pillows." Jackson chuckled and took a sip of his cola, his eyes never breaking contact with mine. "I like to watch Oprah and I cry at weddings. I have a dimple on my right cheek." I smiled and pointed at it. "I enjoy photography. Instead of an imaginary gremlin-troll, I had a fish tank, a pet pony, two hamsters, two dogs, and a pet duck as a child." Jackson was shocked by the number of pets I had. "What? I lived on a farm. I love to cook so I don't order takeout nearly as often as you do. All my siblings are married so I'm the only one left who is single. That has to be at least five."

"Why didn't you-," Jackson began, but my phone buzzed. I looked down. It was my mom calling me. I declined.

"Sorry. You were saying."

"You-." Instead of my phone interrupting him, it was the waitress. She arrived and took our orders. Jackson ordered a sandwich. I ordered a salad. My phone buzzed again. My mom was calling me again. It must be important.

"Sorry Jackson. It's my mom. I have to take this."

"No problem," I answered the phone and brought it to my ear. Jackson sipped on his drink and stared at the diners next to us.

"April, sweetie. Libby told me you are coming to Joseph's wedding and that you're bringing a plus one," she squealed. "I'm so happy you finally found someone." I moved my phone from my ear and winced.

"Mom stop squealing. Yes, I am going to Joseph's wedding and I do have a plus one, but that doesn't mean I'm dating him." This piqued Jackson interest.

"Are you going to tell me who this mystery man is or do I have to wait?"

"I'm not telling you who he is. Just be patient and you will see Mom."

"I'm so excited April! This is the first time you will be bringing a guy to Moline. You should stay for the whole weekend. The wedding is on the Sunday before Columbus Day. School should be off for that day. You and your date can stay with us." My mom continued to talk as I started rubbing my forehead wondering what I got myself into. Jackson seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

"Mom," I cut her off, "Again, I'm not dating him and I'm actually out to lunch with somebody right now. Can I call you back later?"

"Ohhh. Are you with your date?"

"Okay. Bye, Mom. I love you." I hung up the phone before she could get any more nonsense in her head. "Sorry about that." Jackson shook his head and said it was no problem. I looked at my lap to fidget with the hem of my dress.

"So," Jackson started, "Who's Joseph?" I looked up and saw that he was genuinely interested.

"Joseph was my homecoming date in high school. I had a major crush on him. I wasn't expecting to get invited to his wedding since I sorta ditched him at the dance."

"Why did you leave him?"

"My older sister, Libby and her friends said something about the two of us and I couldn't handle it so I left."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's no big deal," I responded with a shrug. The food arrived and I was famished. I started to eat my salad when Jackson caught me mid-chew.

"Why were you being so mysterious about your plus one?" I chewed at a rapid pace and swallowed before I probably should have just so there wasn't an awkward lull in the conversation.

"Uhhh. I originally didn't want to go to the wedding because it would have been awkward, but my sister implied that I wouldn't be able to find a date and I wanted to prove her wrong. I don't know why I did that because now I have a month and a half to find someone who is willing to go to Moline with me and attend this darn wedding."

"So, you weren't giving your mom any hints because you don't even know yourself." A mischievous look appeared in Jackson's eyes. I stabbed a piece of lettuce with my fork.

"Yeah. I really don't want to go back because everyone has settled down and started a family and I haven't, so whoever I bring is going to be the talk of the town of ages. You know, gossip spreads like wildfire in small towns."

"I get that," Jackson started. "My mom is always up in my business. She is always bugging me about my love life. She keeps pressuring me for a grandchild." He picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite out of it.

"That's cute. I don't have that issue. All my sisters are married and have children. They got married young so everyone is wondering why I haven't settled down yet. I keep telling them that I haven't found the right guy yet, but they think that I'm afraid of commitment. My parents are a little worried that I'll end up alone." I looked up from my salad. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get all deep like that and spoil the mood."

"No, it's fine. What happens if you can't find a date in time?"

"I guess I would have to go alone and disappoint everyone."

"Well, if you can't find anyone to go with you by the end of September, I'm down to go." I dropped my fork and scanned Jackson's face. He was serious. I let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm serious April. I understand what it's like to have your whole life under observation. My mom does it to me every time she visits. I'm willing to sacrifice a weekend to save a friend from scrutiny. I'll have you know I'm quite the gentleman." He winked at me. Imagining Jackson in Moline was hilarious. A city boy living on a farm for a couple of days. He was nice and genuine and very easy on the eyes. "It's like you said April. You don't have to be dating your plus one. You can bring a friend."

"I'll think about it." To me, it was a simple solution to my problem. The start of school was soon approaching and my work was beginning to pile up. Taking Jackson to Joseph's wedding would allow me to focus solely on work and Jackson would definitely show Libby that I could find a date.


	4. Chapter 4

**Jackson**

"Well, if you can't find anyone to go with you by the end of September, I'm down to go." April dropped her fork and stared at me. She wasn't sure what to say but a nervous chuckle passed through her lips. "I'm serious April. I understand what it's like to have your whole life under observation. My mom does it to me every time she visits. I'm willing to sacrifice a weekend to save a friend from scrutiny. I'll have you know I'm quite the gentleman. It's like you said April. You don't have to be dating your plus one. You can bring a friend."

"I'll think about it." I knew I was being a little forward. We barely knew each other, yet here I was ready to spend a weekend with her in another state with her family. April was clearly shocked with my proposition but deep down I knew that I was April's best bet. From now to October, the workload would only begin to pile up. Her chances of meeting someone else who was willing to go to Moline on such short notice was slim to none. I continued to dig into my sandwich when April cleared her throat. I peeked up at her.

"I guess you can go," April started while chewing on her lower lip. God that was adorable. "But, I need to get to know you better first and you will be going as my friend and nothing more." I nodded in agreement. It was cute how she avoided eye contact with me and how she waved her hands when she was trying to make a point. I gave her a reassuring smile. April took a deep breath and calmed herself, but she soon began to giggle. "I'm bringing a stranger to my homecoming date's wedding," April stated as she began to laugh. I joined her. We both finished our lunches and the waitress came around with the bill. April reached to grab her purse but I already placed my card down before she opened her wallet. "No Jackson, I can't let you pay."

"Too late," I said with a victorious smile as I gave the bill back to the waitress.

"Jackson," she pleaded, "You are already coming with me to Moline. The least I could do is pay for lunch." 

"If you feel that bad about letting me pay, you could treat me to ice cream, to even out the score."

"Of course, I'll buy you ice cream." We left the restaurant and I led her to the ice cream parlor. The smell of sugar wafted through the air once I pulled open the door. I stared at the menu for a while before deciding flavor I wanted. 

"Hi! How may I help you?" A girl stood behind the counter. I looked at April and told her to order first. 

"Hi. Can I get a scoop of strawberry ice cream on a cone?" The girl finished April's order before asking me what I wanted.

"One scoop of chocolate on a cone please." The girl scooped my order and rang us up. April handed the girl a ten and left the change in the tip jar. We exited the parlor and walked around the waterfront while we ate our ice cream.

"Is there anything I should know about Moline before I go there?" I had already scarfed down the ice cream but the cone still remained.

"Not really," April stated as she licked her ice cream. Her gaze was concentrated on not letting any of it drip onto her hands. She wasn't fast enough as some found its way down the back of her hand. Her brows furrowed and her lips pursed. I couldn't help but silently chuckle at her actions. I swiped my thumb across her hand and wiped the ice cream off her. Then, I licked the sugary liquid off my finger.

"Come on. There has to be something," I urged.

"There's nothing major. It's just," April began shakily, shocked by my action. "Uhh... It's just different than the city. It's an everybody knows everybody sort of situation. My sisters will be there for the wedding. Actually, my whole family will be there. I'm the only one who has moved away." I finished off my ice cream and threw away the napkin that was wrapped around the cone. April had just finished licking off the last of her scoop. My hands were sticky from the few stray drops of ice cream that had dripped onto them. "Everybody will be shocked by you so be prepared to be the center of attention. My sisters will definitely be interested in you. They can get a little carried away sometimes." I chuckled and rubbed my fingers against the sticky sweet spots on my hand.

"So nothing really bad is going to happen. We'll just be the talk of the town." April nodded in agreement as she chewed on the last of her ice cream cone. I peeked at my watch. It was 4:00. We walked back towards the restaurant. "It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow at school," I said as we approached her car.

"Yeah. See you there bright and early." She opened the car door and got in. I turned around and smiled as I headed towards my car. 

When I arrived back home, I had a mountain of paperwork to fill out. Arizona had ordered them in priority for me so I knew where to get started. I noticed a piece of paper at the top of the stack. It wasn't a form, but instead was an official document from the district. Apparently, I was supposed to test some new curriculum in my class to see if the rest of the school should follow suit. At the end of the year, there would be an interstate meeting discussing the importance of it. A letter from the district head was under the first paper. Apparently, I wasn't the only teacher testing new curriculum. All new teachers in the district were supposed to try the new syllabus. I assumed that this included April.

I began to read about what the new syllabus entailed and began to formulate a general lesson plan. Units would be organized by theme and not in chronological order. Some of the chapters focused on different government types and types of rulers. One new component of the new curriculum was to teach the students about the themes and lessons conveyed by analyzing the past. I quickly moved onto the rest of the papers I had received that day. By the time I had finished through the rest of the forms, the sun had already set and I didn't want to order takeout. I grabbed a pizza from the freezer and warmed it up in the oven. After it was ready to eat, I placed it on a plate, grabbed a cold beer from my fridge, and settled into my couch. Nothing good was on tv, but I found a basketball game. I wasn't interested in the teams playing, so I primarily focused on scarfing down my pizza. My mind was exhausted from the hours I spent focusing on filling out the forms and before I knew it was passed out on the couch.

The next morning, I woke to sunlight hitting my face. I rubbed my eyes and saw my leftover beer on the table. I glanced at the clock above the mantle to see that it was close to 9:00. Quickly, I rinsed my plate and placed it inside the dishwasher. I ran to the bathroom and quickly took a shower. I had to get to school soon so I could get a head start on setting up my classroom.

By the time I arrived at school, it was past 10:00. I had the stack of papers I received the day before in my hand and wanted to deliver them to the office. Unfortunately, nobody was in the building when I arrived. Walking briskly back towards my classroom, I noticed that April's door was open. Music was playing and it felt familiar, but I couldn't make out which song it was. Once I reached her classroom, I peeked my head in to see April decked out in rubber gloves and an apron. She was squatting with her back facing me. Her shirt was a little too short and rode up her back allowing me to catch a glimpse of her milk-white skin.

"Hi, April. What are you doing?" April wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up at me from the desk she was scrubbing. She moved over and paused the music. 

"I'm cleaning. The cleaning crew cleans this building every Thursday, but I don't think I could wait that long before moving stuff in." 

"Can I lend a hand?" I moved forward to grab another pair of gloves.

"Sure! The desks near you need a little polishing." I reached into her basket to see which product I needed to use. I moved towards the chairs she wanted me to clean and quickly went to work. After five minutes of scrubbing, I finally finished polishing one leg of the desk. I pivoted around to see what April was doing only to see her bending over the desk to reach a piece of old gum under it. I knew I shouldn't stare, but she looked so good in those jeans. She stood straight when she managed to get the gum off the bottom of the desk. I immediately went back to cleaning the desks.

"So," I started, "Have you finished filling out all the forms you got yesterday?" April looked at me and nodded. She grabbed a bottle from her basket and sprayed some of its contents onto the desks in front of her.

"Yeah. I tried to turn them into the office this morning, but nobody was there. Oh! I got a letter about teaching some new concepts, like the lessons from the stories applicable to real life. I read that all new hires in the district are participating in this trial. I guess that includes you." April efficiently moved the rag over the surfaces she wanted to clean. In the time it took me to clean one desk, April had cleaned five.

 

 

"Yep. The new curriculum encourages teachers to ask the students about real-life applications. The units have changed though. I won't be teaching history in chronological order but by theme. It should be interesting." I moved towards the next desk April assigned me and began to rub a cloth damp with cleaning solution on it. April had finished cleaning her side of the room and began to arrange the desks. She played with multiple arrangements but settled on an order that allowed for easy access to all the desks. I finished dusting the last desk and began to group them in fours, mirroring what April did with the desks on the other side of the room. April pulled a box out from under her desk and opened it. Curious about what was inside, I moved towards to her. She began to place framed pictures on her desk. One of her and her family, one with her and an older woman I assumed was her mother, and one with a horse.

"Is that your horse? The one you told me about yesterday at lunch?" April nodded and smiled as she picked up the picture. She rubbed her finger over the picture.

"This was my horse back in Moline, Sparkle." 

"Sparkle?" I said holding back a laugh. April spun around and feigned hurt.

"What? I was ten when I got her." She placed the picture back onto her desk and emptied the rest of box onto her desk. Nice office supplies were soon organized neatly on her desk. She handed me a couple of posters. I hung them up on the back wall behind all the desks. 

"Did you call maintenance about the door yet?" 

"Yeah. That was the second thing I did after I got here. I think I'm just about done setting up this room." There was another large desk at the back of the classroom.

"What's this desk for?" I placed a hand on it. She shrugged. 

"I haven't figured out what to do with it yet. I think that two teachers used to teach in this room. I'll just leave it empty for now." I looked at my watch to check the time. Hours had flown by while we were cleaning. It was too late for lunch so I decided to wait until dinner before eating, but my stomach growled. April heard my stomach's demand for food and opened the storage cabinet behind her desk. She pulled out a bag of chips and handed it to me. "Thanks for helping me clean my room. Do you need help setting up your room?" I nodded as I ate chips by the handful. April looked at me and giggled. "Jackson, you got crumbs everywhere," she said lightly scolding me. She reached up and picked some crumbs from my shirt. She was so close to me I could feel her warm breath through my shirt. Her hand lingered around my chest, tracing my outline, even though my shirt was now free of crumbs. I looked down at her and my hand found its way onto her waist. She sharply inhaled before stepping back and out of my reach. 

"Should we get started on my room?" I asked, attempting to ease the tension that had settled around us. April nodded as a blush settled on her cheeks. I headed out of the room and unlocked the door to my room. Once April locked up her room, she entered my classroom. Lots of dust had settled onto the desks since the room hadn't been touched in a couple of years. I whipped up a tarp that was covering the teacher's desk, throwing all the dust into the air. April winced at my move.

"You just made cleaning your room so much harder." She whipped out a handheld vacuum and began to remove all the dust I had just dislodged, keeping her distance from me. April removed all the pieces of gum from under the desks after she had finished vacuuming. I wiped down all the surfaces in the room. We worked in silence, for the most part, moving in tandem with one another until the room was finally cleaned. 

"April, can you help me move the student's desk out of the way so I can put my desk on the other side of the room?" I asked, finally breaking the silence. April cleared a path through the middle of the room and headed towards the opposite side of the desk and lifted up. After careful maneuvering, we finally placed the large wooden table down. Unlike April, I hadn't brought any personal effects from home to place on my desk. I placed all the forms I was supposed to turn in into the file cabinet. "Have you created your green sheet yet?" April looked up at me from the desk she had placed herself at. 

"Yeah. I finished that first right after I filled out all the forms. I couldn't sleep last night. I also made all the back to school papers and a presentation for the first day of school. The first unit is about identifying theme so I created some worksheets to give to the students on the second day. The school gave me a test for the students to take to see their levels of comprehension already."

"Wow!" I gasped. She had done so much in one night. I would have to pull two all-nighters to accomplish what she finished in a night. "I have so much to do. I was debating whether or not to make a presentation introducing myself, but I'm not sure what to put on it." April nervously approached me and motioned for me to take out my laptop. I sat down in my seat and she leaned over me. I pulled up Slides and created a new presentation. 

"Okay. You start with your name. Then, a little background about you, like where you went to school and where you're from. Finish with a couple of fun facts about yourself." She fiddled with the color scheme of the slides before settling on one of the premade palettes. "It's getting late. I should head home. Do you think that you'll be okay here by yourself?" I looked up from the slides and nodded at her. 

"Bye. See you tomorrow." April exited my room. I surfed the web for pictures of Boston and the Boston Celtics. The slides took only five minutes to complete. They weren't as neat as I imagined April's were, but I supposed they would have to do. 

I decided I would do the rest of the back to school preparation from the comfort of my couch.


	5. Chapter 5

**April**

Once I arrived home, I slouched against the door, shocked by what I had almost done in my classroom earlier that day. I buried my head in my hands and replayed the moment, going over every word, every action. I knew that Jackson wouldn't ever see me that way, but here I was, infatuated with my coworker. Picking myself off the floor, I forced my legs to take me to my bedroom. My tired arms peeled off my shirt and low-cut jeans. I fell face forward into my white cotton sheets groaning. Why did I always fall for guys I never have a chance with? I flipped onto my back so I could breathe a little better. Something bugged me. Jackson had placed his hand on my waist and slowly shifted his hand lower when I was running my fingers along his shoulders. The memory made the skin tingle.

I stopped myself from thinking about him and decided a shower would make me feel better. I trudged over towards the bathroom and turned on the shower, only getting in when steam began to rise. The warm water hit my skin as I stepped under the stream, standing motionless under the flow until the skin on my fingertips began to wrinkle. I finished right before all the hot water was used, slipping into a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants after drying myself off. I was too lazy to dry my hair properly. Instead, I squeezed out as much water as I could and slipped under the covers. I looked online for flights back to Ohio. I would have to talk to Jackson tomorrow about the travel plans. I shut off my phone and made myself comfortable. It wasn't before long that I went to sleep.

I woke up feeling refreshed and made it my goal to distance myself from Jackson following the incident that occurred yesterday. I couldn't let myself fall for a guy who I had no chance with. I had done it too many times before. I arrived earlier at school than I did yesterday and prayed that Jackson wasn't already in his room. I approached my room and slipped the key into the silver lock and unlocked the door. I connected my computer to the speaker and played some music. I threw myself into my work, printing first day forms, organizing my file cabinets, and preparing for Back-to-school night. I didn't hear when Jackson knocked on my open door.

"April, I wasn't sure if you had coffee yet." He handed me a cup. "I wasn't sure how you liked your coffee, so I brought little packets of sugar, milk, and creamer."

"Jackson," I answered breathlessly. His gorgeous ocean blue eyes looked straight at me, causing my breath to hitch. "You didn't have to." So much for distancing myself.

"Naw. It's no problem. So, did you see your schedule?" I sank into my chair while pouring a packet of sugar and milk into the cup of coffee. I took a sip after stirring the contents until the white milk blended with the black coffee.

"What schedule?"

"Your school schedule. It was in an email." I quickly pulled up my work email to see what Jackson was talking about. After the page loaded, I saw a new email at the top of my inbox. It was from the district. I opened it and saw an attachment. Inside was the roster to all my classes. I had 180 students to begin with and a free seventh period which would allow me to leave school early. Jackson placed his hand out and I gave him my phone. He pulled out his phone and compared my schedule with his. "It looks like some of your sixth-period kids are in my seventh-period class. Stephanie Edwards, Shane Ross, and Josephine Wilson, just to name a few. Well, now I know that they should never be late for my class since your room is so close. Our free periods don't line up. Yours is seventh-period but mine is sixth. That sucks. I was hoping that they would line up so I could have someone to pass the time with." My heart fluttered when he said that. He wanted to spend time with me. I quickly shook the thought out of my head and convinced myself that it was because I was one of the only staff members he knew. He handed my phone back and leaned onto a desk adjacent to mine. I nervously bit on my lip as I was unsure about what to say next. Luckily, Jackson spoke, breaking the awkward silence that hung in the air. "You ready for the first day of school?"

"Yeah. I actually finished preparations just before you came. You?"

"I still need to print some papers and file them but other than that, I'm pretty much ready."

"That's good." My eyes darted across the room, avoiding eye contact with Jackson.

"So, I'm going to go print out the papers," Jackson said, getting up from the desk he was at.

"Okay. Bye." Jackson moved towards the door. "Wait," I called out before he left the room. He spun around and faced me. "Thanks for the coffee."

"No problem." He flashed me a smile and left. I sighed and turned up my music. The bass reverberated through the room. This school year would be an eventful one. I could feel it. I opened the cabinet and pulled out some posters I had stashed in earlier. After carefully arranging them on the wall, the room finally felt complete. Little accents of color and inspiration danced across the room. I peeked at the clock on the wall. It was reaching lunchtime. I peeked into Jackson's room to see if he was also hungry but didn't see him. I was ready to return to my room, but a thud and a groan caught my attention. Jackson was rubbing the back of his head and had a hand on his table.

"You okay?" I walked towards him, closing the gap between us.

"Yeah. I just hit my head on the corner of the desk." I peeked at the spot he was rubbing. A faint red splotch was beginning to appear.

"Well, I don't think it will bruise. What were you doing under the desk anyway?"

"I was trying to plug in my charger. What's up?"

"I was going to order a pizza for lunch. Do you want some?"

"Thanks. You're the best." Jackson leaned over me, placing his hand on my shoulder as he moved towards his filing cabinet. I could feel the heat rising and was grateful that Jackson had his back to me.

"It's no problem. You brought me coffee." I took a few deep breaths before turning to face him. Jackson shot me a dazzling smile as he walked back to his seat. I felt my knees go weak but mentally told myself to hold it together. I placed our order and around fifteen minutes later, the delivery boy showed up at the door. I paid as Jackson opened the lid. "I wasn't sure what toppings you liked so I got regular cheese pizza." I passed him a coke as he grabbed a slice. I popped open my coke and took a sip, watching Jackson devour his pizza. A long string of cheese hung out of his mouth. "Jackson," I giggled and patted my chin, "you got a little something here." Jackson grinned at me and quickly moved the stray strand into his mouth.

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes and grabbed myself a slice. We chatted as we ate and before we knew it the pizza was gone. I threw the box away along with my paper plate.

"So last night, I was doing some research about plane tickets back to Ohio." I fiddled with my thumbs and bit down on my lip.

"Really. What did you find?"

"Well. There is no direct flight back to Ohio. There's typically a layover or two and a two-hour drive from the airport to the farm, so the travel time can reach up to ten hours. The cheaper and shorter flights will require us to miss the Friday before the weekend. It's a red-eye flight that leaves at midnight though, but it means we'll arrive in Moline sometime in the afternoon. The longer and more expensive flights with more layovers leave at reasonable hours, but that means we will arrive at around midnight. I'm paying so what do you want to do?"

"Well, we should take the red-eye flight. I don't mind missing a day of school. We will just have to let Richard know we'll both be out."

"Okay. I'll book the tickets tonight. I'll also book a rental car."

"That sounds good. Email me the confirmation once you get them." Jackson settled back into his chair and opened up his laptop to get back to work.

"Sure." I headed towards the door and back into my room. I plopped back into my seat behind my neatly decorated desk and efficiently booked two tickets to Columbus with a layover in Chicago. The flight left at 12:15 AM on Friday morning. I pulled up some car rental companies and scrolled through their selections before settling on a Ford Escape. My phone buzzed before I could go back to school stuff. It was my mother.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted perkily.

"Hi, April. I just wanted to confirm that you are coming to Joseph's wedding. I'm sending the RSVP now."

"Yes, I'm coming. I already have a date and booked my flight. You wouldn't mind if we stay at your house would you?"

"I'm so glad you're coming," she squealed. "and no, your father and I would not mind it at all if you stayed at our place, but you will have separate rooms. You can take your old one and he can have Libby's old one. So tell me all about this date."

"Mom," I groaned. "You asked this question two days ago. The answer's still the same. You will just have to wait until we come to Moline."

"What? I'm curious. It's not everyday my sweet, little, April brings a boy home." She chuckled lightly into the phone. I placed a hand on my temple and closed my eyes. If my family kept calling this frequently, I would go crazy. "When are you going to be arriving? I can see if I could get your father to pick you up."

"Thanks for the offer Mom, but I already booked a rental. Our flight lands at around noon, so we should arrive at the house by three."

"Would you mind if I invite your sisters over for dinner? It's been so long since we've had a family dinner." I knew that this wasn't the only purpose of the family dinner, but I had missed our frequent family gatherings. Since moving to Seattle, the only person I had shared a meal with was Jackson. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy his company, it just wasn't the same as it was with my family.

"Dinner sounds wonderful. I'll tell Jackson." I placed a hand over my mouth, shocked I accidentally let his name slip out.

"Ohhh," my mom cooed, "His name is Jackson. That's a nice name. He sounds handsome already."

"Mom, please don't make a big deal about this."

"Okay, sweetie. Are you nervous for the first day of school?"

"A little. I finished everything. I organized, filed, and prepped to my heart's content, but I can't shake the nerves. You know how much I hated my high school years."

"I remember. You always had your nose in a book, too timid to go talk to anybody."

"Ohhh," I groaned, "Please don't remind me."

"But now you are the teacher and not the student. Don't worry too much about it. Well, I better get started on dinner or it won't be done by the time your father is home. Tell Jackson I can't wait to meet him. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Mom." I hung up the phone and placed it back on the table. Just as I had done so, a soft ding notified me that I had an email. It was the confirmation for the tickets and the car. I forwarded them to Jackson just like he asked. A couple of seconds later I got a text message from him.

_Received: The tickets aren't really that cheap. I feel bad for making you pay. I can pay for my tickets._

_Sent: No. I insist. You're already doing me a huge favor my coming so it's my treat._

_Sent: My mom is planning a family dinner for the day we land. She seems excited to meet you. I hope that it isn't a problem._

_Received: No. It's not a problem. I'm going to go home so I'll see you tomorrow at the all staff meeting. I'll try to get here early so I'll save you a spot._

_Sent: Thanks. See you tomorrow._

I sat in my chair thinking of things to do to prepare for the beginning of school. I reviewed my presentations for typos and found none, so I combed through my lesson plans. Everything was in order, just the way I liked it. With nothing left to do at school, I decided that going home would be my best option. There were some things around the house for me to do.


	6. Chapter 6

**Jackson**

It was fifteen minutes past seven. Traffic was light so I arrived at the auditorium with a couple of minutes to spare before the meeting started. I grabbed two seats near the middle of the room and scanned the crowd for April. Alex slipped into a seat in the last row while Arizona sat in the front row next to a short African-American lady and a tall Latina woman. April walked through the door and I gave her a wave. She smiled when she saw me and quickly moved through the crowd of staff members to get to her reserved seat. 

“Hi,” I whispered as Richard took the stage. She returned the greeting and focused what Richard was saying.

“Hello everyone. It’s great to see you again. I hope you all had a great summer vacation.” The projector screen lowered and showed some slides filled with information. Richard went over the mission statement and other features of the school. He explained the new upgrades to the campus and how the budget will be spent on improving the school. Most of the staff zoned out as they had heard his speech many times before. I peeked over at April who was dutifully taking notes about what he was saying. 

“Whatcha writing?” I questioned quietly. April glanced at me before refocusing herself.

“I’m jotting this information down because it’s important,” she quipped as Richard continued on with his presentation. 

“The safety of our students is one of our number one priority,” Richard stated, “We hold fire drills, code black, and code red drills once a semester. All the information pertaining to evacuation plans should be in a binder in your classroom and a student copy should be hanging in your rooms.” The rate at which April was furiously scribbling all the information she was receiving into a little red notebook was amusing. “Familiarize yourself with the evac plans of your classroom before the school year starts. Hopefully, we never had to draw upon this knowledge, but we should always be prepared for the worst.” 

Eventually, the projector went black and people began to shift in their seats, eager to leave the stuffy auditorium. Richard addressed the restless crowd, “Food and drinks are set up in the gym for our little back to school party. Please help yourselves and let’s make this a great year.” He stepped back from the podium and left the stage. April put her pen and notebook back into her bag and slowly stood up. We shuffled out of the room and headed towards the gym. 

Chatter filled the air as we entered. Staff members talking to one another about their eventful summer vacations while faint upbeat music played in the background. April and I headed towards the drinks table when she was stopped by Arizona.

“Hey. You’re new here right?” Arizona flashed a smile as she talked. I continued towards the table and poured two cups of coffee. In one cup, I emptied a packet of milk and sugar and mixed until it was combined. 

“One packet of sugar and milk,” I announced as I handed her the cup.

“Thanks. How did you know?” I shrugged and took a sip of my own coffee before responding, “I remembered.” I felt Arizona’s attention on the both of us, analyzing the scene in front of her. Slowly, I met her gaze only to see her smile widened and a mischievous glint in her eyes. She quickly excused herself so she could go talk to the Latina lady who next to her during Richard’s presentation.

“April,” a voice called out. April spun around searching for the source of the call. A tall blonde approached us with a shorter male tailing her like a puppy.

“Mr. O’Malley and Ms. Stevens!” April chirped. 

“Oh! Call me Izzie,” I heard as I slowly backed away from the trio and headed towards the food table. I grabbed a plateful of chips and quickly popped a few into my mouth when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Arizona had returned and brought with her a tall brunette. She introduced me to Ms. Torres who was the head of the language department. We chatted for a while about teaching and cafeteria food before Arizona ditched us to go talk to Richard, effectively stopping the conversation.

“So,” I said, attempting to restart the dialogue, “What’s the policy about staff relationships?” My gaze flitted towards the perky redhead for a quick second before focusing on Callie.

“Why?” she chuckled, “See someone you like?” She peeked over her shoulder and scanned the crowd. “Is it the redhead?” she probed with her eyebrows raised. I choked on the chips that I was munching on. Callie snickered as she continued, “I take that as a yes. You’re not fooling me. The two of you have been attached at the hip. It may be because you both are new here but I notice that you keep stealing glances when you think no one is looking. Arizona also told me that you know how she likes her coffee.” Callie gave me a suggestive smirk.

“No,” I quickly retorted, “There’s nothing going on. April and I are not like that. We just met this week. We’re friends. Just friends.”

“Uh-huh,” she said incredulously. “Well, staff members can date other staff members. It’s not against the rules. The people here really take advantage of that.” As Callie spoke, I looked over her shoulder and my eyes made contact with April’s. She sent me a small smile over Izzie’s shoulder and I felt my face mirror her expression. Callie’s pat on my shoulder and understanding smile bringing me back to reality. I gulped and quickly left the party. 

The first day of school approached and my anticipation grew. Since I was a new teacher, I knew that my first impression mattered if I wanted to be respected in the classroom. I slipped on a baby blue button-up and a pair of black slacks. Then, I gathered all my materials for the day, including a large bottle of water and placed them in my backpack and headed out. 

After a pitstop to Starbucks, I made my way through the back entrance of the school and past the silver chain link fence that bordered school grounds. Ahead of me, stood April standing nervously before her room. I checked my watch and realized it was an hour before school was set to start. Her uneasy demeanor was quite noticeable as she picked at the hem of her blush blouse and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. I settled behind her and tried to see what held her attention.

“What are you doing?” I whispered in her ear. She snapped out of her daydream but continued to stare at the building. 

“Nothing.” She opened her mouth but quickly stopped herself.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” she mumbled, “It’s stupid. You’ll probably-nevermind. Just forget I said anything.”

“Try me.” She turned to face me with her brows furrowed and eyes downcast before murmuring, “This feels like my first day of high school all over again and I hate it.” 

“What do you mean? High school was great!” My memories of high school included winning league championships and being crowned Prom King four years in a row. 

“No, it wasn’t! Lemme guess. Popular jock who was constantly surrounded by friends?” I nodded. “Prom King senior year?”

“Actually, I won all four years,” I said with a sheepish smile. April scoffed, “See! You don’t get it. We existed in separate universes. I was the nerdy girl who preferred to study instead of going to school dances.”

“I thought you went to Homecoming with Joseph?” April glared at me and pursed her lips.

“That’s not the point and you know what a disaster that turned out to be.” I smirked as she continued to talk, “I had frizzy hair and braces and I always ate alone. I was social pariah. I had no friends but I at least had my family, but now,” her voice breaking, “now my family is hundreds of miles away. I have nobody.” Her lower lip quivered and her eyes glassed over.

“Hey hey. You have somebody. You have me. We’ll get through this school year together.” I placed my hands on her shoulder, giving them a soft squeeze as I lowered myself to so we were eye level. She blinked back the tears that surfaced and threatened to spill over and ruin her makeup. “Me and you.”

“Me and you,” she echoed. I took her keys from her hand and unlocked her door

“I’ll see you at lunch. Apparently, the cafeteria serves some mean chicken tenders.” I placed her keys on her desk headed out to my room.

“Jackson,” she said just barely loud enough for me to hear, “Thanks.” She shot me a smile and smoothed out her blouse. 

“No problem.”

I unlocked my classroom and set up my laptop, bringing my presentation up to queue. I mentally ran through everything I had to do today when I realized I had given my forms to the office. I had filed them away since the office was always closed when I went, but now I knew for sure the office would have to be open. I opened my file cabinet and grabbed the stack of papers. 

I knocked on Richard’s office door and opened it. He was on the phone so I lifted up the forms for him to see. He pointed to the secretary Patricia. I walked up to her desk which was in the middle of the building. Stacks of paper adorned her desk and the phone was constantly ringing. A lady with white hair sat in the chair signing off paper after paper.

“Hello,” she said without even looking up, “Here to turn in your forms, Mr. Avery?”

“How do you know my name?” I stood with the papers out in front of me.

“I’m Patricia. As head secretary, I know everything that goes on here. I was wondering when you would drop by. Ms. Kepner handed in her forms over an hour ago. You can just place yours on top of hers.” She motioned to the pile of papers atop the file cabinet to the left of her filled desk. I gently set the forms down and quickly returned to my class. 

The first bell rang and the students quickly scrambled to their seats. A couple of kids were late but that was to be expected on the first day of school. I introduced myself with the presentation April had helped me make. I handed out my green sheet and proceeded to review the course requirements and my grading style. Most of the students were sleepy and unused to waking up early after summer vacation. All of the students looked completely overwhelmed with the coursework and it was only their first period. I finished my speech and five minutes remained so I asked if they had any questions. Silence filled the air as none of the kids dared to speak. I scanned the crowd, silently probing for questions but every student averted my gaze. I assigned a homework project with the objective of getting to know each student. Every student scribbled down the assignment into their planner and quickly began to pack up their bag as they realized it was five minutes before the bell rang. I wondered if April’s student’s where this timid. The bell sounded, first-period ended, second-period started, and I repeated the process two more times before brunch came around. 

After the fifteen-minute break ended and as the five minute passing period ended, I watched kids scurry off into the directions of their next class. My fourth-period student filtered in and I began my lesson again. After the period ended, they left in a hurry trying to get the hang of switching classes. Fifth-period students were ecstatic when the bell rang signaling the beginning of lunch. After the last student packed up and left the room. I grabbed my wallet, locked the door behind me and walked to April’s classroom. 

“Hey,” I said as I entered. “How has your day been so far?” 

“Good. My throat’s a little dry from all the talking and my students look positively bored in my class, but other than that, it has been a great day.” We exited her room and walked towards the cafeteria. I picked up two plates of chicken tenders and handed one to her. “This smells really good. You were right.” I picked up a bottle of water for her and a coke for me from the fridge and headed to the cash register to pay. April trailed closely behind me. She got her money out but I slipped the lady twelve dollars before April could sort through her bills. “Jackson,” she chastised, “I can pay for my lunch.”

“Come on April. It’s only six dollars.” I grabbed two forks and a couple packets of ketchup. “It’s my treat.” I held the door open for April as we exited the cafeteria and made our way to the staff room. Snickering caught my attention. I tried to locate where it was coming from when I noticed a group of girls talking to one another in hushed tones. They were eyeing April and me but she was oblivious to their stares. 

The lounge was buzzing with energy when we arrived. College flags decorated a wall and adjacent to it was a mural painted by former students. Ten round wooden tables were arranged in between the two walls. Most of the staff congregated around the tables eating lunch and what seemed to be a ping pong table in the back of the room. A stereo system played some light upbeat music in the background. April headed towards an empty table and I followed. 

We ate and watched the ping pong match. Arizona was playing against Alex. She served and Alex returned the ball. They volleyed back and forth until Alex missed the white plastic ball by an inch. Arizona was ahead by a couple points but the match was far from decided when Callie plopped herself at our table and cheered Arizona on. She was about to win the match when the five-minute warning bell rang. The crowd quickly scattered and returned to work. April quickly cleaned up her scraps and threw them into the trash. 

Since our room was quite far away from the staff lounge, we had to walk quickly to arrive on time. The group of girls that were gossiping at lunch crowded in front of April’s classroom and stiffened when they saw us. I saw them looking at their schedules and do a double take and smirked when they realized that we were their teachers. They were clearly not expecting the subject of their lunchtime chats to be their English and History teacher. I said bye to April as she let her sixth-period class enter the room. I passed my time by preparing lesson plans, printing out timelines and creating study guides for future tests.

Seventh-period rolled around and the trio tentatively stepped into my classroom. They found their seats and I began my lesson again. The students were overwhelmed by the expectations placed on them and as the final bell rang, they quickly scurried out of my classroom. Repeating the same lesson six times in a day was more exhaustive than I had predicted. April walked into my room as I collapsed into my chair. 

“Only 179 days lefts to go,” she chirped as I rubbed my temple wondering what I had gotten myself into. 

“179 days,” I groaned. “That’s 937 hours worth of instructional time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to last that long.”

“Hey, I’m sure the time will fly and you’ll be wondering where all the time went as you’re cramming in all the information you need to teach before finals.” A knock on the door stopped our conversation. Arizona and the short African American lady I saw with her during Richard’s presentation entered my room.

“Mrs. Bailey,” April greeted.

“Kepner,” the lady barked, “come here.” April quickly responded as I got up to talk to Arizona who hung around the entrance.

“Ms. Robbins,” I gulped worried about the unexpected visit, “how can I help you?”

“Avery,” the blonde chirped, “How was your first day at Seattle Grace High?”

“Good. You were right about the chicken tenders. They were delicious. April certainly enjoyed them. The freshmen were a little shy today but I think that by the end of the week they’ll be more comfortable and begin to participate a little more.”

“That’s great. The freshies just need some time to get used to the notion of being in high school. Keep up the good work Avery.” Arizona patted me on the back and glanced at the two other teachers in the room before she continued, “Did you know that Homecoming is a month and a half away? It’s the first dance of the school year and we need teachers to supervise. Typically new recruits get to work the graveyard shift.”

“What’s the graveyard shift?” I questioned. Arizona smirked before responding, “It’s the last hour of the dance. Dances typically start at 6 and end at 10. You and Kepner will be responsible for everything that happens on campus from nine to ten. The dance is the day after the football game. I hope you enjoy breaking up makeout sessions between horny teenagers.” Arizona darted out of the room before I could question her further. April was still conversing with Bailey so I went back to my desk and began to pack up my materials. I could tell that April was nervous around her boss as she rambled on about her lesson plans for the week. Bailey glanced at her watch and cut April off before she could continue. 

“Do you have an extra copy of your curriculum. I want to review it so the department can discuss it at the meeting this Friday.” The two walked briskly out of the room. I waved to April as she left. I walked past the chain link fence once again and headed to my car. 


	7. Chapter 7

**April**

I sat in meeting room one waiting for Ms. Bailey. School had just ended and I had arrived early to our meeting place to have my one-on-one with her. At first, it was a little intimidating talking to her, but underneath her tough exterior was a caring lady.

The door swung open as Bailey moved quickly through the room and sat opposite to me. Questions about school-related topics flew out of her mouth and I quickly answered all of them. We talked for around half an hour, but she wrapped up our conversation when she noticed that there were only five minutes until the first department heads meeting was supposed to start.

I went home and between planning for school, cleaning, and decorating my house, the time disappeared. Before I knew it, I was handing out the comprehension test to my first-period students. Looks of horror flitted through their faces, but they quickly eased as they realized the test was multiple choice. I passed out the Scantron sheet and went to respond to emails silently.

I ate lunch with Jackson as I did every day and Ms. Adamson joined us, but she didn't contribute to the conversation. The cafeteria was serving pasta and salad today. I watched Jackson swirl his fork around in the mass of noodles and saw the noodles tangle around the black plastic. I began to pack lunch after experiencing Jambalaya day, so instead of pasta in front of me was some chicken and rice. Really, who thought that soggy rice mess was safe to serve to students. Without fail, Jackson finished his meal and stole some of mine.

"This is really good," he mumbled as he popped a piece of chicken into his mouth.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. Jackson reached over and took another piece of chicken. "I might as well pack you a lunch since you keep eating all my food."

"No I don't," he retorted, "I just steal a couple of bites here and there."

"Your bites are gigantic. You eat like half of what I bring." Reed looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes at us. I ignored her glares and looked back at Jackson.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was eating so much." Jackson looked to the ground with his eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed like a little boy who was being scolded by his mother. I reached out and rubbed his arm. He looked up and I got lost in his stormy blue eyes. They were a little darker than the bright eager eyes that greeted me this morning.

"Hey. It's not a problem. I'm glad that you are enjoying my cooking. I'll just make sure to bring you your own portion next time."

"No. I don't want to be a burden. I don't want you to go out of your way to do something for me," he quickly said. I countered, "I always cook too much so I wouldn't be doing any extra work." Jackson looked at me disbelieving. "Really," I added on for safe measure. Jackson finally conceded and agreed to let me pack him lunch.

The warning bell rang and we gave each other parting smiles. The rest of the day flew by as I wasn't teaching anything. After school ended, I headed to the meeting room and seated myself in the front row.

My red notebook sat open to a fresh page on my lap. Ms. Bailey checked her watch and glared at all the stragglers as they slowly entered the room. Reed plopped herself onto the chair next to me and closed her eyes.

Bailey turned the projector on, the bustling crowd suddenly silent as nobody dared to talk over her. Her powerpoint presentation illuminated the darkened room. She talked quickly so the meeting would end on time. People began to leave the room once Ms. Bailey switched the projector off, but I stayed seated.

I stared down at my now filled page and re-read my writing, but a sharp jab to my side drew me out of my notes.

"Reed!" I gasped as I rubbed my ribs, "What was that for?" She peered at me as she leaned over.

"What's up with you and Mr. Hottie?" I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I tried to cover my embarrassment by averting my gaze from Reed's.

"Who's- who's Mr. Hottie?" I stammered. Reed snickered and leaned back into her seat. We were the only people left in the room as the rest of the English department had left.

"You know who! The new devilishly handsome history teacher that you have been attached to all week. Are you guys a thing?" Reed smirked as she noticed my cheeks had turned an even darker shade of red. I tried to form a coherent statement, but the words eluded me. Eventually, I babbled out a few short high-pitched syllables.

"We're just friends," I managed to mumble after calming myself.

"That's a shame. You had me fooled with all the food sharing, arm rubbing, and smiling the two of you were doing. Offering to pack him lunch, what are you a married couple?"

"REED!" I screeched, feeling the all to familiar heat rising to my cheeks again. "We are not a couple!" I admonished. I closed my notebook and slipped it into my bag.

"Jeez. Anybody tell you your voice is a little high pitched?" She rubbed her ear but continued to talk. "Nobody else is around. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," Reed quipped.

"No," I vehemently denied, "I haven't thought about Jackson that way."

"Really?" Reed questioned in unbelief, "Because you offered to pack him lunch and that is total couple stuff." My eyes widened and my jaw dropped before I hissed, "That's-that's not true!" She looked at me and shook her head silently.

"If it helps, Jackson looked secretly overjoyed at the prospect of eating your cooking every day."

"It doesn't help. Not at all." I rubbed my hand against my temples and sighed.

"I have one more question," Reed started after a while of sitting in silence.

"What?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Do you think he's good in bed?" I was shocked. I didn't know the sour-faced teacher would be so crass. "What?" she said, "He's smoking hot. His smile and his muscles. You can't forget about the eyes. I saw the way you were hypnotized by them today so don't even try to deny it. All that just makes me wonder what's hidden underneath the layer of-". I zoned out as Reed continued to talk and got lost in my head for a moment. Scenes of Jackson in various states of undress flooded my brain. Now that Reed planted the thought in my head, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wondered how I would face Jackson tomorrow knowing the dirty thoughts that now flowed freely through my mind. I grabbed my bag and dashed out of the meeting room as I heard Reed snickering behind me.

By the time I got home, my senses were in overload with the awfully descriptive daydreams that occupied my brain. I stepped out of my heels and threw my bag onto the wooden bench that lined the entryway. I slipped into my bedroom and started the shower. When the glass door began to fog up, I let my auburn locks out of the ponytail it was in and stripped out of my jeans before I stepped in.

The warm water cascaded down my skin. I lathered my shampoo into my hair only to think about Jackson doing it for me. I shook my head vigorously trying to shake the naughty scenarios that plagued my thoughts, only to have a couple of soap suds fall into my eye. I stepped back under the stream and let the water rinse my hair. I carefully washed my eye without irritating it further. I conditioned my hair, waiting the appropriate amount of time before washing out the product. My hair was soft and smooth. I reached back over and grabbed my body wash. I squirted out a handful and lathered up. I closed my tired eyes only to have images of Jackson flood my system once again. My eyes flew open and I quickly wrapped up my shower.

I moved sluggishly towards my kitchen after I put on a pair of plaid pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt. I was too tired to cook something complicated, so I was grateful that I had leftovers from what I had made for lunch that morning. It only took a few minutes for the food to finish heating in the microwave, so I didn't have to wait long before hopping on the couch and curling up under the blankets with my dinner. I turned on the tv and settled for some drama filled soap opera.

After an hour of mindless entertainment, I turned off the tv and went to go meal prep for tomorrow's lunch. Since I was planning to bring an extra portion for Jackson, I wouldn't leftovers have to eat for dinner, which meant I would have to cook twice a day. I opened my fridge and stared at the food inside patiently waiting for a recipe to appear in my mind. After ten minutes passed and I still had no idea what to make, I closed the fridge and pulled up my phone to send Jackson a text.

_Sent: I don't know what to cook. Do you want to eat anything in particular?_

A little bubble appeared on my screen moments after I hit send, notifying me that Jackson was forming a response. A few seconds later, a text popped up on my screen

_Received: Nope. I'm sure whatever you cook will be delicious so whatever is easiest for you._

I reopened my fridge and pulled out some chicken and an assortment of vegetables. I grabbed a cutting board from the cupboard and a knife from the knife block. A ping sounded from my phone on the dining room table. Jackson had sent me another text.

_Received: It's not too late to back out. I'm sure the school's barbecue beef is good._

_Sent: I thought we settled this at lunch and I already started the prepping for tomorrow's lunch so you're a little late. I really thought that after Jambalaya Day you would stop eating the cafeteria food._

_Received: What? Their jambalaya wasn't that bad. The seafood was only a little burnt and the rice was only a tiny bit watery._

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I didn't know how Jackson put up with the cafeteria food every day. Sure, the fried chicken was good, but ever since then, the quality of the food had gone down dramatically. I sent Jackson the eye-rolling emoji and followed it up with a text.

_Sent: Well I better get back to prepping or neither one of us will have a packed lunch tomorrow._

Jackson sent me a quick 'thanks' and I shut off my phone. Moving back towards the counter, I began to cut up all my ingredients. I washed the bell peppers and the string beans before I set them onto the cutting board. After cutting off the ends of the beans and slicing the bell peppers into long colorful strips, I put them into a bowl and returned them to the fridge. I composted the scraps and rinsed the board and my knife. I grabbed the chicken breast and trimmed the fat off. After it was cut into smaller cubes and placed back in the fridge, I washed all the appliances and placed them in the dishwasher. Once I deemed the kitchen to be clean again, I walked back to my room.

I finished my nightly routine and hopped into bed. Between Jackson's resistance my kind gesture and Reed's misguided thoughts, I was exhausted. The ache in my bones was present as I sank into the mattress, effectively gluing me to my bed. I shut my eyes and quickly fell asleep.  



	8. Chapter 8

**Jackson**

I walked through the back gate and towards the school building. It was the first week of September, the third week of school, but the weather was already noticeably cooler. The infamous rainy weather was supposed to begin soon. The last couple of weeks were an adjustment period, but as we were rounding out the month, the workload was coming in at full force.

I peeked at my watch noticing that it was only 7:00 and as always, April's door was already open. I peeked in to see her hard at work hunched over her computer, amber hair cascading over her shoulders. The room was dark except for the faint light emitted from her screen causing her milk-white skin to glow in the minimal lighting. I leaned against the doorframe, my bag slung over my shoulder, two cups of coffee in my hand, one for her, one for me, and watched her work. A smile crept onto my face as her eyebrows furrowed, drawing attention to her round innocent eyes.

Eventually, after enough time had passed a simple "Good morning April." fell from my lips as I held out a cup of coffee. She looked up from her laptop and graciously accepted the cup. She blew on the hot liquid as she spun around in her office chair, feet grazing the ground. She was wearing a loose-fitting white chiffon long-sleeve shirt and a pair of black dress pants.

"You know you don't have to bring me coffee every day," she said in between sips. Her two hands encased the tiny to go cup, absorbing the heat through the cardboard sleeve. I shrugged, "You know you don't have to bring me lunch every day."

"Yeah. But that's different," April huffed, "I want to bring you a lunch every day." A short burst of air passed through her lips and displaced the steam rising from her drink.

"Who said I don't want to bring you coffee?" I quickly remarked. April's head dropped as she tried to hide her reddening cheeks. I concealed my growing smirk with my cup. Ever since last week, April was easily flustered by everything I said. I didn't know what changed as one day we were casually chatting and the next, she was jumpy and nervous in my presence. I couldn't complain though, April looked adorable when she was nervous.

"Sorry," she murmured, her lower lip disappearing behind her teeth. She picked at the frayed edge of the thin brown paper.

"Don't worry about it," I said nonchalantly. I threw my empty cup into the trash and sat in the closest student desk next to her. It was a tight fit purely because of my height. Even in high school, I could never comfortably fit inside those plastic contraptions.

"You do know that I have another teacher desk in my room. Right?" April grimaced as she saw the awkward angle my legs were bent at.

"Yeah, " I sighed, "but it's on the opposite side of the room." eliciting an eye roll as I whined. "That's so far away."

"It's literally ten steps." She made long exaggerated strides across the room, turning to face me once she reached the other end of the room. "Ten steps, Jackson. You would get a larger desk with more leg room. Also, a way more comfortable chair. Why would you want to sit in one of the tiny student desks?" April shook her head and went back to her desk to finish the last of her coffee.

"Simple," I answered, "It's closer to your desk." April choked a bit on the coffee she was swallowing, patting her chest to help ease the discomfort in her chest. I chuckled lightly at her comical expression before setting up my stuff when she turned away. I pulled out my laptop and opened up my email. Lots of students flooded my email asking about the quiz that Friday. I didn't want to go and respond to every email individually, so I made a note to address the issue in class. I felt that every single one of my students had nothing to worry about, but knowing the student mindset all too well, I knew the amount of second-guessing kids did while taking tests. All I could do was prepare them the best that I could and hope for the best.

I could see April's fiery red hair shake in my peripheral as she drew her hair up into a ponytail. She still hadn't turned her back to face me.

"Homecoming is coming up in four weeks," I said trying to ease the tension that settled around us.

"Yep. What about it?" April questioned. She tilted her head to get a better view of me.

"You ready to relive Homecoming? We have to supervise the dance." I searched her face for any emotion as she stared blankly into the room.

"Oh. I didn't know that." Her face fell, and I instantly felt bad for bringing up the dance knowing her history with the social event. I quickly apologized, but April brushed it off and quickly went back to work.

The first student wandered through the door silently with his earbuds in and plopped himself into his seat fifteen minutes before the bell rang. A trickle of students entered in the next couple of minutes passed. I took this as my cue to leave.

"I really am sorry about, you know." I left my statement vague as we now had company in the room. April looked up, a sad smile gracing her features.

"It's not a problem. It just still hurts to talk about." She looked around the room at her students mindlessly scrolling through their Instagram feed, and then back at me. "Can we talk about this later? Now's not a good time." She tilted her head in the direction of the students.

"Oh! Yeah... Sure. See you at lunch." I gave her a soft wave and exited her room. A hoard of students congregated around my locked door. I wiggled my way through the sleepy kids and opened up my classroom. I made a beeline for my desk, collapsing into the black leather office chair wondering how could I have been so insensitive to April? The morning had gone from fun to awkward with one sentence, an insensitive slip of my tongue.

The first-period bell rang drawing me out of my head, forcing me to deliver the lecture on the Enlightenment philosophers to my students. I reached over to a stack of papers on my desk and grabbed the skeleton notes.

Mindlessly, I passed out the papers as the students got settled into their seats. The powerpoint was already up and running on my computer, so I only plugged in the adaptor before starting. April's sad reaction plagued my thoughts, and I frequently caught myself stumbling over my words as I spoke. Luckily, the kids were to busy scribbling down the information that they didn't pay much attention to my internal meltdown. I only had to repeat this a couple more times before I could talk with April and apologize once again about my words.

Lunch rolled around soon enough, and I was dreading walking to April's room to pick her up for our daily lunchtime chats. My stomach grumbled in protest to my slowed actions. I looked at my shoes, as I knocked on her door. I pulled open the light blue metal door and found April standing in the middle of her room with her water bottle in hand and her white blouse, now a little translucent, clinging to her slim form. I could make out the subtle curves of her waist and the light pink lace bra she had on. April looked at me in shock for a second before wrapping her arm around her body to cover up what I already saw.

"Oh my God!" she screeched, "Jackson! Turn around and lock the door!"

"Oh Jesus! April, I'm sorry!" I yelled as I spun around as she retreated behind her desk. I moved to push the key into the lock and twisted till I head a click. Rustling from behind me arose, but no verbal response. I presumed that she was cleaning herself up. I closed my eyes even though I had my back turned to add an extra layer of privacy. "I'm so sorry April. I really am. I should have waited. This really wasn't my intention April." The last thing I wanted my modest coworker to think was that I was a pervert. Although, one glimpse of what she had under her more conservative clothes had me hungry for more. I scrunched my face at the inappropriate thought that flashed through my mind.

"It's alright Jackson. I know you didn't do it on purpose. It was my fault for spilling my water all over myself and not making it to the door before you opened it." I light grasp on my arm signaled that it was okay for me to turn around. Slowly, I shifted my weight onto the foot closest to her and tilted my head to meet her reassuring gaze. A fitted black jacket covered her frame and the previously damp fabric was significantly less noticeable. My face must have shown my hesitation about the matter, as she quickly reiterated her statement. She handed me a warm Tupperware and gave me a fork to eat with.

"We aren't going to the staff room?" I questioned, looking at the objects in my hands.

"Nope," she affirmed with a shake of her head. I plopped down into the desk closest with hers and opened up the lid. Steam rose from the marinara sauce, and I quickly dug into the neatly prepared food. It was an understatement to say that April was a good cook. She made the best food that I had ever eaten, which was an impressive feat as growing up, fancy food constantly surrounded me. April called it cooking from the heart, whatever that was supposed to mean. April situated herself in a desk adjacent from mine and opened her lunch. A moment was spent savoring the food before she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted this morning when you brought up Homecoming." April poked at the pasta in front of her while continuing on with her spiel, but I quickly interrupted her with an apology of my own.

"No, April. It was insensitive of me to even bring it up. I knew how much you hated the dance, but still, I decided to talk about it. I just wanted to tease you a little bit, but I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories. I probably ruined your morning. I'm the one who should be sorry, and I am."

"What?" she retorted with her eyebrows furrowed. "Jackson you had no idea that I would react that way. It really was my fault. I never told you what really happened that night. You were just making friendly conversation. Anyways, I guess I should explain," April exhaled shakily before continuing, "I told you that I went to Homecoming with Joseph." I nodded in response, chewing slowly as to not make a sound while she spoke. "I also told you that Libby said something to me that made me leave Joseph at the dance, right?" I nodded once more. "Well, when I was dancing with Joseph, Libby approached me with all her friends and said, 'Well, well. Isn't it sad that our little ugly duckling isn't even good enough for her nerdy boyfriend? Right, Joseph? Did you enjoy making out with Moriah behind the bleachers before picking my sister up for the dance?'" April's face twisted in disgust and I instantly got up to move closer to her. "I didn't believe it at first. Then I turned to look at Joseph and he had this deer caught in headlights look on his face and I knew that she was telling the truth. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could back home. I remember my mom had no idea what was going on and she instantly freaked out about the state I was in. Alice had to tell her while I cried myself to sleep."

"Jeez. April," I wrapped my arm around her protectively, as she began to tremble. Her dainty shoulders dipped slightly, as her body succumbed to her silent cries. Her head rested on my shoulder, and I ran my fingers softly along her arm. Energy coursed through my veins with the proximity, but it was an inappropriate time to be feeling those things, so I kept the feeling locked away. "I'm sorry for bringing it up this morning. I'm really sorry that you had to go through all that. Homecoming is supposed to be fun, and the experience was taken away from you." We sat like that for a good amount of time before April lifted her head off my shoulder to wipe away a few errant tears.

"Thanks. You're a good friend Jackson. I'm lucky to have you." I tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. A shy smile graced her lips, and I felt proud that I was able to make her feel better.

"No. It's my pleasure. You literally feed me every day." I reached for the now cold lunches and packed them away. "April," I started, unsure of how to proceed with my question.

"Hmmm?" April placed the containers back into a lunch bag and cleaned the desks we were sitting at.

"I was just wondering why you would go to Joseph's wedding if he treated you like that in high school?"

"I don't know." She turned to look at me with a shrug and smile. "I guess because I like weddings and I haven't been back home since I moved out here." The warning bell rang as April made herself presentable for her sixth-period class.

Kids flooded through the door, eager for the school day to be over. I waited till Stephanie and her friends wandered through the door before leaving for my room. Once in my empty classroom, I pondered what April told me. I had a few questions and concerns about it. No one should have done that to her, especially not her sister. I was an only child, so I never understood the sibling dynamic, but I knew that they were supposed to have each other's backs, no matter how much teasing came along with the relationship. I wasn't sure if I liked Libby and I hadn't even met her yet. That would come in around a month when we went to Joseph's wedding.

My main concern was why the wedding. If April reacted like she did that morning to the mentioning of Homecoming, I was wondering how she would handle being in his presence nearly ten years later. I decided to search for Joseph on Facebook to learn more about who he was. I already dislike him as he hurt April.

After around 15 minutes of searching and going through multiple profiles, I finally found the man I was looking for. His profile picture was plain, just him in a plaid shirt and baseball cap. I mentally criticized every single one of his pictures until I stumbled upon his engagement photo. I looked at the lady tagged in the photo. I clicked on the photo to see who he tagged.

It was Moriah Emerson.

The very same girl that Joseph was caught kissing before going to Homecoming with April. I closed my laptop and leaned back into my chair, shocked at my discovery. April surely didn't know that this was the girl he was marrying or she definitely wouldn't have agreed to attend their wedding.

Debating whether or not to tell her was at the forefront of my mind when the bell marking the start of seventh rang. I had to leave the decision for another time, as now I had to focus on my job.


	9. Chapter 9

**April**

The moment that I arrived home, I collapsed face first into my couch and released a long groan into the many throw pillows that adorned the piece of navy blue furniture. Today was absolutely exhausting. A mental breakdown was not on my to-do list for the day, neither was Jackson catching me with a practically transparent shirt, but nothing could change what occurred.

I rolled off the couch and moved into the kitchen to prepare dinner, deciding to try out a new recipe. Since I grew up in the country, I wasn't used to cooking fish, but living so close to the coast had allowed for a new flurry of ingredients to experiment with. I pulled up the instructions on my phone and reread it for the third time before starting any prep work.

After I left the salmon to come to room temperature, patted it dry, and preheated my skillet, it was finally time to cook. I hovered my hand above the heavy, black metal dish and felt the heat rise. Nervously, I bit on my lip as I placed the fillet of fish onto the hot metal. Sizzling fill the air, and I patiently watched and waited until the salmon reached the same shade of pink as in the photo. I flipped it after a short while and paused once more for the heat to cook the other side of the fish. I added a few slices of lemon to the pan and liberally sprinkled dill onto the pan.

A short while later, a pan-fried salmon with some asparagus on the side sat neatly on my plate. To be extra fancy, I added a couple of extra lemon slice and garnished with some leftover dill. I took a photo and sent it to Jackson to ask if he wanted to have it for lunch tomorrow. A drooly face emoji quickly appeared on my screen causing me to giggle slightly. I cut myself a slice and tasted the perfectly cooked fish.

After finishing dinner and putting the dishes into the dishwasher, I slipped into the shower, as I followed my daily night time routine and, eventually, I climbed into bed. I jostled around until I got comfortable under the substantial weight of my duvet.

The next morning, I rose to the rain pattering on my window pane. I stretched as I sat up, cracking my back and slumping over to check the time. It was 6:45. Crap. I was going to be late. I was never late. I scrambled to get everything ready for school, somehow managing to brush my teeth, get dressed, and eat breakfast in under ten minutes. There was no way I would be able to cook something for lunch in under five minutes.

_Sent: I'm running a little late today, so I don't have time to make something for lunch. Sorry._

When I didn't receive an immediate reply, I closed my phone and dashed out of the house silently hoping Jackson would see the text before he left his house.

By the time I got to school, Jackson was already waiting for me at my classroom, both hands carrying a cup of coffee.

"Sorry I'm late," I called out, as I scurried towards my room with my keys in hand. I unlocked my door and pulled it open.

"No problem. I saw your text. I actually found out that I have a meeting during lunch anyway so I won't be eating with you today."

"Okay." I plopped my bag down and set up my computer for the start of the day. I notification appeared in the top right-hand corner of my screen. I clicked on it and was directed to my email. Mrs. Bailey had sent me some information about Back-to-School Night. It was that Thursday night from six to eight thirty. A pdf file of the bell schedule for the night was attached. Each period would be ten minutes long with a five minute passing period for the parents in between. I had already summarized the course and put all the necessary information into a slideshow. It was a more formal repeat of everything I told to the students on the first day of school. After rereading the email, I prepped for my classes. I finished all the work that I had to do before school started but twenty minutes remained before the bell rang.

I pulled up an online dress catalog and examined each article as I flipped through. I had wanted to buy a new dress for so long but never had a reason to buy one. Joseph's wedding was the perfect opportunity to add a new outfit to my closet. I couldn't go for any off the shoulder or thin dresses as Octobers in Ohio got quite chilly. I flipped to the fall catalog and images filled with vivid reds, oranges, and yellows jumped off the page. A nice burgundy long-sleeved midi dress caught my eye. I clicked on the image to inspect my choice furthermore before adding the dress to my cart. It was an elegant choice with a simple and sleek design. An exposed back was not ideal with the breezy weather, but a light jacket could always solve that problem. I could feel Jackson hovering over my shoulder, so I turned to face him.

"What is it?" I asked. Jackson crouched down and leaned forward to examine the dress on my screen.

"Nothing," he muttered. "Is this for the wedding?" I nodded, as he scrolled around on the page and selected a red lace fitted long sleeve dress. "I like this one," he stated simply.

"Really?" I questioned, "I don't think I can pull that one off." Jackson's brow furrowed, as he asked why not. I sighed, "It's not my style. That dress attracts attention. I prefer to blend into the background."

Jackson huffed, "Attract attention April. You can't blend into the background forever, and I guarantee that you can totally rock that dress."

"You really think so?" I asked in disbelief.

"I know so. You'll be the prettiest one there."

"Jackson," I chastised as a blush blossomed on my cheeks, "I'm sure that the bride is supposed to be the prettiest one. It is her wedding day after all."

"Too bad for her," he retorted. He paused before continuing, "Do you know who Joseph is getting married to?"

"No," I answered simply as it was the truth. Neither Libby nor my mom told me who Joseph was getting married to, just that he was having a wedding, and that I was invited. It never dawned on me to ask, but the surprise would be fun.

"Why would you attend a wedding but not know the two people getting married?"

"It's not that big of a deal. We'll sit on Joseph's side of the aisle during the ceremony. Why do I care who he's getting married to?" I could tell that Jackson had more to say but decided to hold his tongue. I left the topic at that and returned to browsing the dress catalog. Once Jackson wasn't looking, I added his dress choice to my cart and proceeded to check out.

The warning bell rang shortly after and Jackson headed off to his class. Half asleep teens trudged their way through my door and took their seats. As the first bell rang, I handed out their Socratic seminar notes and an essay rubric. We had begun reading Of Mice and Men and in a week, they would have finished the book. With further discussion and analysis of the text, I hoped a fruitful class discussion would be possible. Each student would be assigned a role and have a partner to work with. There would be two rounds of the seminar, and their partners would be analyzing each other's performances. I explained my expectations for the essay and gave them work time to continue their reading.

Lunch rolled around and I headed off to the cafeteria with my wallet. Plates of lukewarm pizza and pasta lined the counters. I grabbed a lunch and headed to pay. Reed slid up behind me with her meal in hand. We walked to the staff room and got seated at one of the round tables. Slowly, I began to eat the overcooked and over salted pasta.

"So," she started slyly, "Where's the lover boy?" A half-chewed piece of noodle slipped down my windpipe, irritating my chest and throat, as I inhaled quickly as a result of her remark.

"Reed!" I screeched once the pain subsided. "Jackson is not my-my…"

"Loverboy," she completed with a smirk. "Boy toy, eye candy, whatever you wanna call it Apes." I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks at her insinuation. "You can't deny that you two have a weirdly close relationship."

"He is my friend," I insisted, "and only my friend, nothing more. Like a completely platonic relationship."

"I disagree." Reed popped a bit of pizza into her mouth and chewed as she spoke. "You two act like a freaking married couple with all the playful banter and food sharing crap. You pack him a lunch every day. That is total couple stuff."

"No, it's not," I scoffed. Reed rolled her eyes and shoved more of her lunch into her mouth.

"Just admit it April, you have the hots for him."

"She has the hots for who?" Arizona asked as she took a seat at our table with Callie.

"Jackson," Reed answered mid-chew to which I vehemently denied. Callie shrugged off my response, shot a knowing gaze to the other ladies at the table, and they all chuckled at my expense. I sighed, deciding to eat my lunch while they gossiped. Finally, I grew tired of not participating in the conversation and deflected their unruly theories about Jackson and me to back-to-school night.

"Oh," Arizona exclaimed, "I forgot to talk to Jackson about that. I need to schedule a meeting for that."

"Well, I'm done with all the preparations for that. I already made sure all the language teachers were ready." Arizona rolled her eyes at Callie's remark but smiled as she ate another bite of her lunch. I continued to eat my lunch when it struck me. Jackson said that he had a meeting at lunch today, but Arizona was here, and I couldn't think of any other person who would call a meeting with him.

"Arizona," I asked, "Do you know who Jackson has a meeting with today at lunch?" She thought about his schedule as she chewed.

"Hmm, I don't think he had a meeting with anyone today. Why?" The blonde looked at me in intrigue.

"Nothing." With Arizona's response, I confirmed my suspicions that Jackson lied to me about his lunchtime plans, but I didn't know why he felt like he needed to lie. I thought we were friends, so the gnawing feeling in my stomach grew, as I analyzed our interactions to figure out what I had possibly done wrong. The ladies looked at me when Reed opened her mouth and let out a revelation of her own.

"Oh my gosh. Trouble in paradise already?" she teased, "Jackson sick of your cooking?" I bit my lip, hoping what Reed was insinuating wasn't true. It had been too many times before. Luckily, the bell rang before Arizona or Callie could chime in.

As I walked back to my room, I debated whether or not to confront Jackson about his lie. For all I knew, Arizona might have been wrong, and Jackson did, in fact, have a lunchtime rendezvous with someone, but with what I knew, it was leading me down a path full of self-doubt and anxiety. Previously, people had always avoided me due to my tendency to ramble, my high pitched voice, or my appearance, and for once, I believed that I had found someone to confide in, a true friend. I pushed my unruly thoughts out of my head and focused on the last class of the day.

I loved my sixth-period class, not that I would admit that to anyone, but they were lively, and it seemed like they were genuinely interested in learning. Stephanie and Jo were key students who shaped the learning environment, as they always provided insightful analysis of the text. In a pinch, I knew I could always count on them to keep the conversation going.

I opened my room, and the students flooded in. One by one, they took their seats an awaited my instruction. I stood in front of them, opened my mouth, and let out a shaky breath before starting my spiel. The period flew by, and I left school immediately once the bell rang, deciding not to have a confrontation with Jackson after school. If he wanted to avoid me, too bad for him because I was going to do the avoiding.


	10. Chapter 10

**Jackson**

"I'll think about it," I answered. The squeak of sneakers against the polished floor and the thump of the basketballs echoed through the gym. Four teams played half court, as I watched on near the bleachers.

"That's my boy," he chuckled, "We could always use some Avery sparkle on the basketball team. Think you'd be able to charm your way into getting the calls in our favor?"

"I don't think that's how it works," I quipped lightheartedly, grinning at the man in his late forties who stood with a red whistle hanging around his neck. His graying hair was covered by a navy blue baseball cap with Seattle Grace Physical Education written in script along the rim. A couple of days ago, an email appeared in my inbox from the school about a possible opening in the assistant coach position for the basketball team.

"I'm just glad that you're even considering the position. I was worried that you wouldn't show up today." My brows furrowed and I shifted slightly to face him.

"Why?" He adjusted his cap and shot me a sly grin.

"Well," he trailed, "you're always with a certain redhead at lunch. I thought that you would totally blow me off to have your daily dates with her." I rolled my eyes. Apparently, a majority of the staff believed that April and I were more than just coworkers even if we told them otherwise.

"Shut up Mark. Guys and girls can be friends, not that you would know what that's like."

"You're right," he agreed with a shrug, "because any friends I had that were girls always ended up in my bed. Relationships or not." I shook my head, not at all surprised with Mark's statement. Sure, I had a few crushes here and there, April was no exception, but I always respected the boundaries when it came to my friends.

"Mark," I sighed, "come on man. We're friends. Just leave it at that." He backed off and refocused his gaze on the kids playing on the polished court. The bell rang shortly thereafter, but as I turned to leave, Mark started to speak.

"You don't know me that well, and I know you don't want to hear it Jackson, but listen. You and April, there's something there. Just don't wait too long before you tell her, or you might miss your chance." I subtly nodded my head, soaking up his advice, as I walked back to my classroom.

By the time I made it back, the period was already in session, and I could hear April's vibrant voice ringing through the empty walkway. I leaned against the wall next to her open door, hiding from her view, to listen to her teach. A small smile stretched across my face at the sheer enthusiasm and absolute, unadulterated joy she had for teaching. The fear and uneasiness that I saw on the first day of school melted away, and her confidence in front of the class grew. She still rambled slightly when she gave instructions, but as the weeks passed, she learned to limit her tangents.

After a good while passed, she let her class have some work time, and I took that as my cue to return to my classroom. My stomach grumbled because I hadn't eaten anything since the coffee I brought for April. Right as the bell rang for lunch, I dashed off to the gym to meet with Mark, so I didn't have a chance to buy anything from the cafeteria, nor would I want to because I had become so accustomed to April's home cooked meals. Unsurprisingly, I was craving the salmon dish April had sent me a photo of yesterday, but all I had in my room was some chips and my bottle of water. I settled into my chair and checked my email. Arizona had sent me something about preparing for Back to School Night.

The bell rang as I tossed the empty plastic bag into the trash. Stephanie and Jo walked in complaining about the workload from Lit class eliciting a roll of my eyes. If they only knew it got worse from there. The two got settled in their seats, as I pulled up my presentation. I spent the majority of the class talking about the different perspectives of each Enlightenment philosopher. After I gave my piece on the topic, I handed out a research activity that the students would do. With fifteen minutes left in class, the kids were left to get a head start on their homework. A couple of students approached me with questions about the test, but nobody held my attention for more than a few minutes at a time.

The period ended, and I watched the kids shuffle out the door. I headed over to April's room expecting her to be hard at work at her desk as always, but to my surprise, her door was locked. I peeked through the blinds, but all the lights were off making it hard to see anything. I didn't have to know where she was every second of every day, I didn't own her, but it was just strange that she wouldn't have told me she was leaving early. There was no text, no missed calls, no nothing.

I grabbed my bag and decided to head out. While locking the door, Arizona called out for me.

"Jackson, hold up for a minute." Her blonde hair flew back as the wind picked up. "Did you see my email?" she questioned, and I nodded along. "I just wanted to go over a couple of things about Back to School night with you." I reached out to open my room again, but Arizona stopped me. "No, I'll be quick I promise. All you need to do is have a slideshow for the parents going over the expectations of the students and the course curriculum. That's it."

"Okay. Basically what I had on the first day of school."

"The first day of school?"

"Oh. I made a presentation about all that stuff for the students." I shifted my bag so the strap didn't dig into my shoulder.

"That's smart. I can't believe I've never thought of that," Arizona said.

"Oh, it wasn't my idea," I replied shaking my head lightly. There was no way I would have ever thought of that in a million years. It was April who was always ten steps ahead of the game, even if she didn't know it.

"Then whose was it?" Arizona asked.

"April's," I responded with a smile. "She's always thinking of all these things to help the kids learn. She's a genius when it comes to this stuff. April was totally born to be a teacher." My boss looked on with a small grin of her own, as I continued to boast about April's creativity. "What?" I asked when Arizona held back a small giggle.

"Oh, Jackson. Do you have a crush on her? That's so cute."

"What? No, no I don't," I remarked a little too quickly, as I rambled on about how we were just friends.

"I think you do," she said in a sing-voice. "Funny thing is I think she likes you too." I stilled as Arizona gasped, her hand flying to her mouth indicating she hadn't meant to let that slip.

"She what?"

"Ummm- nothing," she murmured as she attempted to play off what was said.

"You can't just say that and expect no reaction. Come on, Arizona."

"Ughhhh," she groaned, "Callie's gonna kill me. Fine. Anybody with eyes can see that the two of you like each other. I mean - come on - you talk about her like she single-handedly moves the sun and moon. And! I see you linger around her room after lunch smiling like a buffoon."

"You saw me?" I ask a little embarrassed. I thought that I was the only one out during that time.

"Not the point Jackson. She makes you happy when you aren't even in the same room, and she always asks me about you. Oh crap-" she trailed.

"Oh crap what? Arizona, what happened?" I felt my voice rising at my boss, but I couldn't control my emotions.

"Oh god. You're gonna get mad. I can feel it. Please don't get angry," she begged.

"Arizona," I snapped, "Spill it."

"Well, you weren't at lunch today. So Callie, Reed, and I ate lunch with April. We were doing the usual, just teasing her about you when she brought up Back to School Night. I-"

"Can you get to the point?" My patience was wearing thin, and the suspense was killing me.

"Jeez. I'm getting there," she replied with a frown. "As I was saying, I said that I needed to schedule a meeting with you about it, then she asked me who you were meeting at lunch today. I said, nobody."

"You what?" I asked incredulously.

"I told her you weren't meeting anyone. She got a little quite afterward, and Reed teased her about it. Something about trouble in paradise. Then the bell rang." Arizona looked at me, searching for a response. "What? Was I wrong?"

I stayed silent for a moment, processing what she told me. Then it dawned on me, April thought I lied to her, and her natural instinct was to run when she was hurt. That's why she ran from Joseph at Homecoming, and that's why she left without telling me. I dashed to my car without so much of a word to Arizona.

I hopped in and immediately called April, silently hoping that she would pick up, but she didn't. I rang her a few more times, texted her twice, and left a voicemail begging her to call me back. In the back of my mind, I knew that she wouldn't so I made plans to confront her about it tomorrow at school.

Once I arrived home, I plopped myself down unceremoniously onto my couch, letting my feet dangle off the sides. I checked my phone once more to see if April responded only to notice that she had left me on read. I desperately wanted to talk to her, but she seemed hellbent on shutting me out. Although it hurt that she saw my message, but didn't respond, I wasn't going to force her to talk to me. I respected that she wanted space, but I figured that even if she might not respond, it wouldn't hurt to say my piece. I carefully drafted a text and sent it to her. A read receipt appeared a short while later, and I waited in vain for a reply.

I tried to distract myself from the situation by grading some homework packets, but every minute or two I would check my phone for a text from April. When my phone did eventually buzz, I leaped off the couch to answer it, except it wasn't her calling. It was my mother.

"What is it?," I groaned.

"Jackson, that is no way to say hello to your mother. After everything I've done for you, I thought that you would at least have the decency to greet me properly," she chastised through the phone.

"Sorry ma, it's just that now's not the best time," I apologized.

"What? School should be over. Jackson, is there a girl with you? Have you been seeing someone and didn't tell me about it?"

"No! No," I answered, "There's nobody with me."

"Did I interrupt your private time Jackson?" she questioned.

"What!" I exclaimed, absolutely horrified she would suggest that. "No! It just isn't a good time right now. Just tell me why you called."

"Fine. Fine," she acquiesced. "I'm coming to Seattle."

"Oh. When?" I pulled up my calendar so I could mark down the dates and plan accordingly for them.

"Now."

"Excuse me. What?" I asked in disbelief.

"Jackson, it's not that hard. We just landed, and you better come pick me up."


	11. Chapter 11

**April**

I had successfully avoided Jackson all day at school today. He attempted to talk to me during lunch, but all the seats were taken by Arizona, Callie, and Reed, so Jackson didn't try to steal me away. I left immediately after sixth-period once more, dashing by his open door as he taught. I settled into a grading spree once I got home, not bothering to check my phone unless I felt it was truly important. After I graded everybody's homework and put the scores into the grade book, I collapsed onto the couch before taking a nap.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table, snapping me out of the peaceful trance I was in. I sighed under the blankets, not bothering to check the message. It was probably Jackson again. He had blown up my phone with calls and texts, making me feel guilty for ignoring him. I just wasn't ready to talk yet. I reached for the remote and turned the tv on. It was dark outside, so I had slept for an hour or two.

The Voice played quietly in the background as I laid on the couch, silently staring at the ceiling. After the episode ended, I decided to get off the couch before I could develop any sores. I ate my dinner, finished the next unit's lesson plans, and showered, but it was too early to go to bed. I sighed as I sat down once more. When I realized I had one more task to accomplish before I could relax, I rolled off the couch and moved to the kitchen. After opening the fridge to stare at its contents, I pulled out the pre-washed salad mix and poured it into a colander before rinsing it once more - the company's definition of clean didn't live up to my standards. Besides, I had seen on the internet some of the horrible things people have found in their bags. I shook the loose water off the leafy greens before dividing it into two containers.

I still was going to pack something for Jackson. Sure, our friendship had hit its first rough patch, and we weren't exactly on speaking terms, well, more precisely, I was ignoring him. Though, this didn't mean I wanted him to go hungry. It was no secret that he preferred my cooking over whatever goop the cafeteria had to offer, and I secretly took great joy in that fact.

I pulled the chicken out of the fridge and placed the package on the counter. I warmed up the silver non-stick pan, drizzled some oil on it. I unwrapped the plastic film from the raw meat and placed it into the sink along with the white styrofoam container. Once I felt the pan was hot enough, I placed the two pieces onto it. The pink slowly turned to white, and I flipped them over once the meat had browned nicely. I turned off the stove once the chicken was done and let them cool slightly before cutting them into slices. I placed more into Jackson's container given that he had a larger appetite, snapped the lids onto the glass Tupperware, and put the containers back into the fridge.

I checked the clock, deciding it was time to go to bed. I crawled under my comforter after completing my nightly routine, fluffing my pillows before laying down. Reaching over my nightstand, I flipped off the lights. Reclining back, I shut my eyes, but after a moment, gave my phone a second glance. I chewed on my lip while I contemplated my next move, but eventually, gave in to temptation, and checked Jackson's messages.

Against my better judgment, I fulfilled to his requests and called him. The small device was pressed against my ear, and my anticipation grew with every ring. As I was about to hang up, the call connected and his voice filled the silence.

"Hello," he said softly as if he was terrified of scaring me off.

"Hi," I returned.

"I didn't think you would call," he spoke.

"Yeah. Neither did I." I added truthfully. We stayed silent for a moment before he cleared his throat and started the conversation I was trying to avoid.

"I had a meeting at lunch today. I really did April."

"So you've said," I replied with a clipped tone.

"Arizona was wrong. I bumped into her after school, and she said that you talked about me during lunch. You asked if I really had a meeting during that time. Right?"

"I did," I confirmed. I sat up in my bed, my comforter dropping to my waist as I looked out my window.

"And she said no, right?" I nodded along to what he was saying. "Right?" Jackson asked again, this time with his word was laced with worry and confusion.

"Huh?" I questioned before I realized my mistake. On the other side of the line, Jackson wasn't able to see my non-verbal confirmation. "Yep," I added quickly before he could ask once more.

"I was at the basketball courts with-" Before Jackson could finish his explanation, a female voice cut him off.

"Jackson, sweetie. Where is the wine? I certainly need a glass before we turn in."

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed. "Am I interrupting something? I should really let you get back to that. I really didn't mean to disturb your evening. Umm. Good night Jackson." I let my shaky words flow out of my mouth in a breath, not letting Jackson interject and clarify the situation. I brought the phone down and ended the call swiftly.

Plopping down onto my bed, I looked up at the ceiling for a solid minute, contemplating my feelings before rolling over to charge my phone. At the moment, I regretted calling Jackson as now I had more questions than answers, leading to lots of unresolved feelings. A million thought ran across my mind - who was the other lady, what was her relation to Jackson, what was she doing with him this late at night - the questions were endless. Clearly, she felt comfortable in his domain, and the use of a term of endearment settled like a weight on my heart. The fact that she referred to her and Jackson as a joint unit didn't slip by me either. It shouldn't be a shocker that Jackson was a relationship, but for some reason, I had maintained the notion that he was single. He hadn't told me otherwise, but I shouldn't have assumed otherwise. I mean, look at him, there was no way he could go around without attracting someone's attention.

The next morning came too quickly for my liking. I slipped out of bed, already dreading the day to come. Moving about sluggishly, I mindlessly completed my morning routine. I packed the lunches after eating breakfast, yogurt with granola and berries, and grabbed my keys from the hook by the door.

I arrived at school, pulling into my unofficial parking spot. I rushed to my room and out of the rain, once under the overhang, I brushed off some stray water droplets off my maroon rain jacket. My outfit for the day was rainproof with the coat, a pair of knee-high black rubber rainboots, and a warm white wool scarf. I quickly unlocked my door with shivering hands. Like any morning, I double checked I had all the materials I needed for the day and set up my computer. I responded to emails and watched a couple of cute cat videos while I waited for first-period to start. Today was Back-to-School night, and I was slightly nervous about meeting all my student's parents.

As the minutes counted down, Jackson was still nowhere to be seen, leaving me confused about the mixed signals I was receiving. First, he blows up my phone then he doesn't show up to chat when he knows I am available. I understand that I missed yesterday morning's chat, but after my attempt to reach out last night, I hoped that Jackson would get my cues that I was ready to talk. A part of me was glad Jackson didn't show up as I wanted to avoid the awkward conversation I knew the future would hold, but I also missed the way he typically would brighten my morning and my mood with a cup of coffee and a joke. I was growing tired of strategically planning conversations and tables to sit at to avoid him, after all, he was supposed to be my best friend, and I really wanted to iron out the issue in our relationship.

The bell rang, and I started my class, handing out an essay outline along with a note sheet for the seminar. I wrote a few example thesis on the front whiteboard and explained which one I wanted to see in the essays and why. The top one was a general statement that provided nothing to argue about in the essay. The other provided insight into the human condition and the claim could be proved with evidence, but also could be argued against. I made everybody write their thesis statement to the essay prompt and submit it to me for clearance before they moved forward with their essay.

The fifteen-minute break rolled around, and I dug through my bag to grab Jackson's lunch. I sauntered off to his room, a soft knock on the door before crossing the threshold.

Jackson was hunched over his desk, one hand rubbing his forehead, the other holding his phone. He looked up to me, and I lifted the salad to justify my presence.

"Jeez. Mom! Can't you judge my life choices from Boston? I don't understand why you even have to be in Seattle right now." He paused for a moment as the other person spoke. I placed the container onto his desk and turned on my heel to leave the room. I felt like I was intruding into a private conversation, but a harsh whisper of my name caught my attention. I turned around, and Jackson motioned for me to stay. "Mom," he groaned, "I have to go. I can't be home early because of Back-to-School night, so we have to continue this conversation later. Bye." He turned his attention to me after he hung up. "Sorry about that. My mom is in town, and she's driving me crazy."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." I wrung my hands nervously.

"That's who you heard last night. It was my mom. It wasn't a girlfriend or whoever you thought it was. I don't even have a girlfriend." A smile threatened to break out on my face as he spoke, but I quickly schooled my features.

"Oh," I replied. A silence fell upon us and I opened my mouth to try and fill the silence. "I brought you a salad," I said lamely.

"Thanks." Jackson looked stressed, so I decided that the tiny break we had wouldn't be a great time to bring up our issue.

"Well, I'm gonna go," I said awkwardly, pointing over my shoulder to the door. Jackson nodded.

"April," he called out once I had neared the door. I spun around, my curls swinging in the air as I turned. "Can we talk?" he pleaded. "Like really talk."

"Sure," I confirmed warily. "Uh. When do you want to - you know?"

"Lunch?" he offered. It was clear he was hopeful that I would accept, but to his dismay, I told him I already offered to eat lunch with Reed today. "Afterschool?"

"Sorry, but I was going to do some last minute preparations for tonight." Jackson looked dejected, but I quickly offered to talk after all the presentations were finished. He quickly accepted, and I left him to brood over his phone call with his mother.

Lunch came quickly after. Reed swung by my room on her way to the cafeteria.

"Apes, You ready to go?" she asked, as I grabbed my lunch on my way out.

"Yep," I replied perkily. I turned off the lights and locked the door behind me. As I turned to Reed, I noticed she wasn't alone. Jackson stood by her.

"Jackson," I greeted politely, and he returned the sentiment. We went out separate ways, but it wasn't long to Reed murmured "awkward" under her breath. I rolled my eyes but didn't address her statement.

Arizona and Callie sat side by side at one of the tables, and I grabbed a chair by them as Reed bought her lunch. I dug into the salad I had prepared, munching through the leafy greens silently as I listened in on the conversation.

"I have an update about our baby girl and the pretty boy," Reed announced as she sat down. I rolled my eyes. My coworkers were clearly invested in Jackson and I's relationship and made no effort to hide it.

"Ohh. What is it?" Callie questioned giddily.

"April is no longer avoiding him," Reed announced proudly. I shrunk down into the chair as their gazes were all on me.

"I told you that it would last." Arizona grinned at Callie with her hand outstretched. The brunette rolled her eyes as she reached for her wallet and deposited a ten into the blonde's waiting hand.

"Wait," I asked in shock, "You bet money on how long Jackson and I wouldn't be on speaking terms?"

"Of course we did," Reed said with no hint of shame. I shook my head, stabbing a piece of lettuce with my fork. "Torres here thought that it would last a week, but Zona and I said it wouldn't last more than a couple of days. We were right, but I didn't wager any money on it as she did."

"I knew that Jackson would be able to weaken your resolve," Arizona stated with a grin.

"How?" I questioned.

"You should have seen how flustered he was when he realized you were avoiding him. By the way, where is Jackson?" I looked around the breakroom but failed to spot the history teacher. To my surprise, Callie answered.

"I heard that he was spending more time with Mark." All the other ladies at the table accepted her answer.

"Who is Mark?" I asked. Arizona swallowed a gulp of her juice to answer.

"He's the athletic director here. He also is a PE teacher and coaches the basketball team."

The conversation flowed easily between the four of us, the bell ringing shortly after I finished eating. Reed and I walked back to our classrooms. I wiggled my way through the hoard of students around my room to unlock the door.

Stephanie and Jo entered behind me, talking about how excited they were for Homecoming, and that they absolutely needed to meet up over the weekend to go shopping. I started my lesson once everyone settled in their seats.

Once everyone had left the classroom to go home or to their seventh-period class, I sank down into my chair. I still had to make it through Back-to-School night and the conversation with Jackson, even though the only thing I wanted was to go home and relax.

I put on some music and got to work. I double checked that I had enough printouts for every parent, counting each blue course syllabus. Once I had finished, I cut pieces of printer paper into fours for a short activity I had planned. I sighed once I finished everything in preparation for tonight. I reclined into my seat and shut my eyes for a well-earned nap.

Parents wandered around the campus cluelessly, clutching their maps like a lifeline. A few parents made it to my classroom early, but a majority of the room was still empty when my presentation was supposed to start. I introduced myself as I handed out the papers. People trickled in through the door, as I talked. They noted down my expectations on the blue sheet, overly eager to help their child earn the best grade. After I finished talking, I introduced the activity, giving them the last couple of minutes to write a nice note for their kid before they exited my room in search of the next classroom.

I repeated this for the next five classes I had. My stomach growled loudly, as I waited for Jackson to finish his presentation. It was almost 8:30, and the only thing I ate for lunch was the tiny salad I had packed. When the final bell signaling the end of the presentations rang, I lept to my feet and gathered all my belongings to meet Jackson outside.

The wind whipped up my hair, and I pulled my coat closer to my thin frame. Jackson locked up his room, turning to face me. The sun had set, and the harsh orange lights fell across his features. It was drizzling, but it wasn't that cold.

"So," I started, biting on my lip.

"I didn't lie to you," he blurted out. "I had a meeting with Mark. I'm not sure if you know him but he's-"

"The athletic director," I finished. Jackson looked like a weight had lifted off of him as he clarified the situation.

"Yeah. I didn't know you knew him."

"Oh. I don't. Arizona told me who he was."

"Well, you know how when we met, I told you I played sports in high school." I nodded along. "They offered me the assistant coach position on the basketball team."

"That's great. Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I told Mark that I would think about it, but after spending a few days shadowing him, I think I might take the position. I just wanted to let you know, I wouldn't lie to you April."

"I'm sorry I jumped to a conclusion and didn't give you the opportunity to clarify anything."

"No problem," he assured me. "Just, uh-, next time, can I get the benefit of the doubt, before you make up your mind about me."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm really sorry about that. I was just feeling betrayed. I guess. I assumed that you had gotten sick of me. It's not the first time someone had so it was really easy for me to believe, but I thought you were different. The notion of you lying really stung."

"Hey," he countered, "I am different from all your crap friends from before. I won't lie to you, talk crap about you behind your back, or whatever else they did to you. Okay?" Jackson wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in. My face was pressed into the plane of his chest. His hand rubbed circles on my shoulder, as I breathed him in. I looked up to him, and he smiled down at me.

It reminded me of the day we had set up our classrooms. When our personal space was mixed, and Jackson placed his hands on my waist while I ran my fingers over his sturdy shoulders. The day where I acted out of character and almost gave in to my desires. That afternoon we were just two strangers with new jobs in a new city. Now, we had settled into our roles and were miles more comfortable in each others presence.

I licked my lips as Jackson wasn't looking into my eyes anymore. His pupils widened, and slowly but surely, he ducked his head down to kiss me. My eyes closed in anticipation, and I tiptoed to shorten the distance between us, but before our lips could touch, the sounds of heels on concrete and two people having a conversation snapped us out of our daze. I turned around trying to locate the source of the noise in the darkness. A blush crept onto my face as I thought about what almost transpired.

Richard and an older lady stepped into my field of view. They chatted flirtatiously, and she placed her hand on his forearm while he said something to make her laugh. Her smile dazzled and captivated Richard's attention.

"Mom?" Jackson asked in shock. My eyes widened like saucers. The sophisticated and elegant woman talking with our boss was his mother.

"Jackson," she greeted reaching her arms out as to signal for him to come. Jackson seemed to understand her cues and stepped around me to kiss his mother on the cheek. He moved back once he started to speak.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned.

"Well, you told me you wouldn't be home till late, so I decided to surprise you and come here instead. Richard here helped escort me to your room."

"Richard?" he mumbled in disbelief, "You're on a first name basis. You barely know each other."

"Jackson," she chastised, "don't use that tone with me. Who I am friends with is none of your business and besides, we got to talking while waiting for the informational night to end. I shared about my work in Boston, and he talked about what it was like running a school. Jackson, you better not be adding to this very fine man's stress."

"Oh," Richard chuckled. "Jackson's a great teacher and the students love him. I have no complaints." Richard gazed affectionately at Jackson's mother.

"That's good. He better keep it that way." I looked back at Jackson, who looked perturbed at the scene in front of him.

"Well," Richard started, "I better get back to the office. It was very nice meeting you. Let me know when you visit Seattle again, and I can show you some of my favorite restaurants in the city."

"Of course," Catherine agreed with a smile. Richard turned and disappeared around the corner. I stood there standing between Jackson his mother, my gaze shifting between them. "Jackson, don't be rude and introduce me to your friend."

"April this is my mom, Dr. Catherine Avery. Mom, this is April Kepner."

"It is very nice to meet you April," she said sweetly. She held her hand out and I quickly moved to shake it.

"It's my pleasure, Dr. Avery."

"So what's your relationship with my son? Are you two dating?"

"Mom!" Jackson growled, but she continued on.

"It may be dark, but you certainly are a beauty."

"Thanks," I murmured.

"No problem darling. You two would make some beautiful babies." My jaw dropped, and my face heated as blood rushed to it.

"Mom! Stop it." Jackson demanded. "April and I are friends and coworkers. Okay? And seriously? Babies?"

"What sweetie?" she responded dismissively. "It's not like I'm getting any younger and I want grandbabies to spoil." Jackson groaned and turned to me.

"I'm sorry about that. My mother knows no boundaries."

"I'm-I'm good," I stammered, still in shock over the baby comment. Now that Catherine had planted the seed, images of tiny little children that were a perfect mix of Jackson and I flooded my imagination. What was I thinking? We weren't even a romantic couple even though I was pretty sure we almost kissed a couple of minutes ago. All this was too much for me to process, and I felt the nagging urge to flee. "I'm gonna go. It's getting late and I still have to eat dinner." I took a step back, but Catherine stopped me.

"How about you eat dinner with us?" she offered.

"Oh, no," I politely declined. "I wouldn't want to intrude. Also, I should go home and sleep because I have to get to school early tomorrow."

"April dear, it's not intruding if I offer," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Mom, she said no. Just drop it." Even though Jackson was practically begging, I had the feeling that Catherine wouldn't stop until she got her way.

"Sweetie, if tonight's not a good night, how about tomorrow?"

"I'm sure April has plans. It is a Friday after all. Right?" Jackson asked as he turned to face me. I bit my lip. Contrary to his bold declaration, my Fridays were boring and typically consisted of me grading homework or reading on the couch. Jackson's mom read me like a book and smug smile graced her features.

"Well, it's settled. We are taking you out tomorrow. I'll see you then." Jackson sighed, and I nodded along with whatever she was saying. "Just text Jackson your address, and we'll come to pick you up."

"Oh, that's not necessary," I added.

"Believe me. It most certainly is." I backed off and told Jackson to just text me the final plans.

"Before I forget," he said while he dug through his bag. He pulled out my empty Tupperware container and handed it to me. I saw the intrigue cross Catherine's face, but I didn't have the energy to deal with her reaction. I dashed out from under the awning and into the darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Jackson**

I analyzed my appearance in the mirror, scrutinizing my figure for any imperfection. Running my hands over my hands over my blue button-up, I smoothed out any creases that appeared on my shirt. I had already changed multiple times, making my mother and me late for our dinner reservations with April. My clothes laid strewn across my bed, and I moved to look at my other options in my closet when my mother appeared at my door.

"Are you ready yet?" she inquired with a smirk on her face. "We're going to be late, and we haven't even gotten April yet."

"I know. I'm coming." I rolled my eyes, irked at my mother's interference with my personal life, but I know she meant well. After spraying on some cologne, I put on my watch and walked out to meet her. "Ready?" I sighed.

"Oh. Don't sound so sad Jackson," she chastised. "I'm doing you a favor."

"How?" I asked in disbelief, my brows furrowing in confusion. How could she believe that dragging my coworker to dinner was beneficial to me?

"You'll see," she replied mysteriously, as we walked out. I locked the door behind us, entering the car parked on the curb. I opened the door for her, getting in once she had climbed into the front seat.

The engine of the sleek black BMW roared to life, as my mom commented, "You really put in a lot of effort into your appearance tonight."

"Well," I scoffed, "you only made reservations for one of the fanciest restaurants in Seattle." My mom raised her eyebrows and looked at me through the rearview mirror as if challenge my motivations. I rolled my eyes in protest, refusing to give her the satisfaction of being right. Sure, I'll admit, the fact that April would be joining us had contributed to the many outfit changes earlier, but my mother didn't need to know that.

As we drove through April's neighborhood, I rubbed my sweaty palms on my dress pants, hoping my nerves would subside. The driver stopped the car in front of a small two-story single family home. I hopped out of the car, rushing to ring the doorbell. A few moments later, the dark oak door swung open revealing the person I was looking for.

April was dressed to the nines in a sleeveless black dress that hugged her figure and black stilettos that made her legs go on for miles. Her fiery tresses were perfectly framed her face.

"Hi," I choked out when I realized I was staring. "Ready?"

"Yep," she replied quickly. "I just need to grab my jacket." With that, she turned and headed back inside to collect her items, offering me a perfect view of her ass. I tried to avert my gaze, sticking to the friendly label we had applied to our relationship, but our actions last night left us toeing the line between a platonic relationship and something more. We hadn't had the chance to talk about the almost kiss, as Mark followed me around for most of the day introducing me to everyone as his assistant coach since I had accepted the position.

April reappeared with a black purse in her hand and a coat draped across her figure. I moved out of the way so she could shut the door.

"You look really nice," I complimented, offering my arm to her.

"Thanks," she replied, blushing slightly. "So do you." We walked down to the car, and I opened the door for her. She said a shaky hello to my mom, as I sat down in my seat. April was clearly anxious about this dinner, and I couldn't blame her. Surprisingly, my mother started a conversation about Seattle, the weather, and work, helping ease April's tension. The dialogue continued primarily between April and I once school was brought up, and I could see a devilish glint in my mother's eyes through the rearview mirror. For once, she didn't try to insert herself into the conversation, but instead sat quietly and listened.

When we arrived, we were quickly ushered to a private booth near the back of the restaurant. The lighting was dim, attempting to create a romantic ambiance, and smooth jazz played softly in the background.

"This is really fancy," my redheaded co-worker blurted out suddenly, causing my mother to chuckle.

"April," my mother started. April perked up, and anxiety rose in my chest, worried about what my mother might say, but my apprehension was quickly eased as she continued. "Tell me more about yourself." My relief was mirrored in April, but she responded smoothly to her inquiry.

"What do you want to know?" she asked. "Lemme warn you. I'm not a very interesting person."

"I'm sure that's not true," mom countered. "How about we start with why you got into teaching. We could go from there, and if we have time, I could tell some stories about Jackson's childhood." April smiled at the prospect and nodded in agreement. She scanned the menu, her eyes squinting to read the fine print.

Our waitress interrupted the conversation, telling us the specials for the night. She offered us a moment to decide on what to eat, but before she left, she wanted to place the orders for our drinks. I flipped over to the wine list, glancing over the pricier bottles of wine and settled on a decently priced Shiraz. April, on the other hand, was hesitant to order something so pricey, but my mother and I assured her that she could have anything she wanted. Once she found something that was on the cheaper end of the spectrum, she placed her order for a Cabernet Sauvignon. To my surprise, my ma opted to stick with water.

"How I got into teaching," April trailed, "Well, as a kid, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up. All my sisters had an idea while my interests shifted frequently, but something that stayed constant was my love for children. I was always babysitting for people and volunteering at church with Sunday school. I just sorta went from there, and I ended up getting a masters degree in early childhood education and one for English."

"Early childhood education," my mom hummed, "that's a big gap from teaching high schoolers. How did you end up at Seattle Grace High?" A small smile graced April's features as she reminisced.

"I wanted to spread my wings, leave my tiny home town and do something more with my life. I'm not saying that my childhood was bad or anything... I loved it, but it was just restricting," she rambled. "If I got a job in Moline, I would have ended up working closely with my mom. She's also a teacher. I love her with my whole heart, but I just needed some space. I decided that I really liked Washington, so I completed the state requirements to be a teacher and started looking for jobs." The waitress rounded our table with our drinks in hand. She placed them down, April thanked her and continued with her story without a hitch. "With my qualifications, I was able to apply for a variety of positions, but the only one open in the Seattle area was the one at Seattle Grace. I'll admit, I was hoping to teach younger kids, but high schoolers aren't that bad." My eyes widened at her last statement, and I shot April a look, but she glared at me to keep quiet.

"I sense a story," my mother teased. April bit her lip, reaching for her wine glass.

"Not bad huh?" I joked, "I distinctly remember talking you down from a panic attack on the first day of school. You said something about how lame high school was and how highschoolers were predisposed to hate you." April rolled her eyes, sipping her wine. The waitress returned to take our orders. April asked for the baked chicken breast with caramelized vegetables, I decided on the New York strip steak, while my mom ordered a salmon fillet with asparagus, and with that, our server dashed off towards the kitchen.

"Anyways, that's enough about me. I wanna hear a story."

"Can we not?" I asked, my face scrunched up.

"Aww," April cooed, "Don't be a party poop Jackman."

"Yeah," my mother agreed, "Don't spoil our fun."

"Nothing too embarrassing. Please," I begged before my mother could spill some of my more humiliating moments.

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "Well, when Jackson was little, he had an imaginary friend," my mother began.

"Froddo!" April exclaimed. "The half gremlin, half troll that feasted off the tears of Jackson's enemies." April shot me a wide smile causing her dimple to pop.

"Exactly!" my mother proceeded. "How did you know?"

"Jackson told me over lunch the day we met." she grinned, and even in the dim lights, I could see the sparkle in her hazel eyes.

"I honestly didn't think you would remember that." I sighed dishearted. Even as my mother regaled tales of my youth, I couldn't find it in myself to be mad when April looked like that.

"I wouldn't ever forget," she quipped, looking me straight in the eyes. My heart skipped a beat at the intensity of her gaze, but my mother continued her story.

"Anyways," my mother interrupted. "I was coming off an all-nighter. This was when Jackson was about five or six. My patient had complications, and I had to stay at the hospital to monitor his conditions. When I got home, all I wanted to do was take a nice warm shower and go to bed, but when I opened the door, guess what I saw?"

"What?" April asked enthusiastically.

"Jackson running around naked as the day he was born, tossing flour all over the living and dining room." April gasped, and I covered my face in embarrassment. "I scolded him, obviously, but his explanation was priceless. He told me it wasn't his fault as the other gremlins and trolls were making fun of Froddo since he didn't fit in, and since they were allergic to flour, he absolutely had to make sure that he sprinkled flour everywhere to keep Froddo safe." April giggled and covered her mouth to prevent herself from getting any louder. A couple of other diners turned around to stare at us, but none of us minded.

"That's so precious," April gushed.

"Are we done now? You got one story already."

"Fine," my mother acquiesced. "but, don't expect it to be the last story I ever tell April."

"Oh, I know it is not."

"Thank you, Dr. Avery, for blessing me with that wonderful tale and thanks for allowing me to join you guys," April said.

My mother excused herself to use the restroom leaving April and I alone at the table.

"I'm so sorry you got dragged into this," I apologized.

"This isn't bad, dare I say, it has been pretty fun."

"Well, your mom isn't here to embarrass you," I pouted.

"Aww, Jackson." April reached out over the table to place a hand over mine, rubbing her thumb over my knuckles in soothing circles.

"Although I do have to say, she did keep her word and chose a milder one.

"That was relatively good? What else did you do when you were a kid?" she gasped.

"Well, let's just say I was a pretty naughty kid." A smirk appeared across my face, and April's eyes widened. April took her hand away from mine. I felt the loss of contact, and desperately wanted to reach out and grab her hand, but I stopped myself.

An awkward silence fell between us, as we both actively avoided talking about what we knew we had to discuss.

"Last night," I started, causing April to take a big gulp of her wine. "We have to discuss it sometime."

"We always have something to sort out don't we," she muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath before addressing me. "Later," she said with confidence, "When your mother isn't here." I agreed, sitting in silence while waiting for my mother to come back and ease the tension.

When she did come back, she didn't stay as I had hoped. Instead, she dashed off, claiming the hospital paged her as her patient had a post-op complication.

"I already canceled my order," she announced while grabbing her bag and coat. She turned to April, apologizing for her early departure and extended an invitation to visit her in Boston. She dropped a kiss to my cheek and left the two of us in shock.

Once she was out of view, I looked to April who cradled my mother's business card in her petite hands.

"We could leave," I suggested. "My mom was the only one who really wanted to this. We could cancel our orders and get our Friday night back." I hoped that April wouldn't want to leave, as even with the total humiliation I had experienced, the dinner was going pretty well. Also, even if this wasn't the way I wanted to end up in a romantic setting with her, I knew that I hoped it would happen eventually. Luckily, April was in no rush to go anywhere.

"Hmm. Is it bad that I don't want to go home? I was sorta looking forward to eating here," April said meekly, "and I want to put the outfit to use." My eyes drifted downwards with the mention of her black dress, my words catching in my throat.

"Phew," I sighed, "because I'm hungry, and I really want my steak." April relaxed, sipping her wine. A couple of minutes later, our dinners arrived, and we dug in.

"I think it's only fair that you tell me an embarrassing story since you heard one of mine," I said in between bites. "Please," I pleaded. I tried my best to do puppy-dog eyes until April caved.

"Fine, but only because you said 'please' and not because of that," she said while motioning to my face. "There's so many to tell. I can't decide."

"Whatever you want to share."

"Oh, I got one. When I was eight, I participated in the Christmas play at church." April licked some stray sauce off her lips, diverting my attention from the words she was saying. "My only job was to listen to my cue, walk on stage, and light a candle. I entered on time and lit it, but as I walked away, I tripped over my robe." She let the words hang in the air for suspense.

"Oh no," I gasped.

"Yeah. I knocked over all the candles that had been lighted. The manger caught on fire, and almost the whole stage was engulfed in flames. Luckily, nobody got hurt, but everybody had to evacuate the building, and I was never allowed to participate in the skit again."

"That's horrible. Thank God you got out fine." April smiled demurely and cut her chicken. I got caught eyeing her dish, and she offered me a piece. In return, I gave her a piece of my steak.

The friendly banter continued between the two of us. We had finished our meals and decided on deserts. April ordered a chocolate mousse, while I opted for a cheesecake. While we waited, I tried once more to broach the topic we had avoided earlier.

"So my mom isn't here anymore," I hinted. April picked up on my cues but didn't address the subject directly.

"She isn't," April affirmed. Her dessert was placed in front of her, and mine before of me.

"We almost kissed," I stated bluntly.

"Yeah, we did," she agreed once more.

"Are you just going to agree with what I have to say or are you going to share your thought?" I asked, slightly frustrated. "Cause right now it seems like I'm having a conversation with myself."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Jackson," she huffed.

"Anything," I returned, "Just say something." She sighed, setting her dessert fork down while she gathered her thoughts.

"We almost kissed," she repeated. I didn't interject because I knew she had more to say. "Do you regret it?" April looked me directly in the eyes, begging for a truthful answer. When I didn't respond quick enough, she continued to talk. "It's fine if you do. It wouldn't be the first time. I understand. I'm high strung, emotional, a tiny bit crazy. You probably aren't attracted to that. You just got carried away because of the situation. I get it, I really do. So you don't have to say anything the message is crystal clear." I kept my mouth shut until she had finished her spiel.

"You done?" I asked. April bit her lip, nodding, but she refused to look at me. I raised a hand to tilt her chin up. "I don't regret a thing. Geez, April. I wouldn't take anything back. You might think that you're crazy, but you're not. Well, maybe you are a little," I backtracked. April's eyes were watery, but no tears had spilled. I could tell she was trying her best not to ruin her makeup. "You're crazy kind, crazy dedicated to your job, to your students, to your friends, to your family. You're also crazy beautiful." With that, April delicately wiped a tear from her eye. I smiled as I continued, "Who wouldn't be attracted to that? April, you're my best friend and I really, really like you."

"You like me?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Of course I do," I confirmed. "So no, I don't regret almost kissing you. The only thing I do regret was that we were interrupted."


	13. Chapter 13

**April**

"You like me?" My heart rate sped up, as delightful swelled in my chest. My feelings weren't as one-sided as I had thought.

"Of course I do," he spoke. Jackson's steely blue eyes looked directly at me. In them, confidence swirled with a hint of uncertainty-his fear of rejection. "So no, I don't regret almost kissing you. The only thing I do regret was that we were interrupted." My breath hitched, his hand cupping my cheek.

"I like you too," I murmured shyly. A smile broke out across Jackson's face.

"Well good or that would have been awkward." Jackson moved his fingers from my face, grabbing his fork to eat his cheesecake. I mirrored him and picked up mine, gently scooping up some of the chocolate cream on my plate. The sweetness of the chocolate mingled with a hint of espresso coated my tongue. Jackson licked his lips, swallowing his bite. My gaze drifted down his face, landing on his mouth. For a moment I forced myself to look away, ashamed of what I had done, but then it struck me. I was allowed to stare, so I let my eyes roam over Jackson, absorbing whatever I could see in the dim lighting.

By the time I realized he was doing the same, I had finished my dessert, but I wasn't ready to leave yet. The check came around, and he grabbed it, paying without letting me see the total. I protested, but he quickly silenced my complaints. When I stood up from my chair, he slung his arm loosely around my waist. Excitement coursed through my veins, as we were so close to each other that I could smell the earthy tones of his cologne. Jackson called a cab as we stood side by side outside the restaurant.

"What are you going to do the rest of the night?" I inquired curiously.

"Probably grade the test my kids took today. You?" Truthfully, I would probably roll around on my bed squealing like a teenager over tonight's revelations, but I couldn't tell him that.

"Movie night," I answered casually. He stared into the dark horizon while asking what I would be watching. I shrugged. "Probably Harry Potter or something." The wine had made me braver or more stupid, I couldn't tell. I paused for a moment before I spoke. "Do you want to join me?" Surprise danced across his gorgeous features before a smug grin erupted.

"For a movie?" he asked. I bit my lip nervously, terrified he would reject the offer. "Sure." My shoulders slackened, the tension dissipating between them. "You know they say the guy is never interested in the movie." I didn't catch on immediately to what he was implying, but once I did, shock controlled my actions.

"Oh-oh my. No. I didn't mean it like that!" I exclaimed while Jackson just laughed. "Get your head out of the gutter," I huffed, elbowing him in his side.

"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing the area where I landed a solid jab. "That hurt!"

"I grew up on a farm fighting with three sisters. I can do a lot more than elbow you."

"Oh really?" he asked suggestively.

"Seriously?" I blurted, moving my arm to shove him again, but he blocked my attempt.

"Now, now," he started, moving my wrist down to my side gently. "Why don't we keep our hands to ourselves. Nobody likes to be touched without permission."

"Fine," I huffed, stepping out from under his arm. He looked at me incredulously, to which I widened my eyes as if to question his behavior. "You told me to stop touching you?"

"Yeah, well I regret that. Come back." I rolled my eyes playfully but stepped back into his open arms. He wrapped himself tightly around my petite figure, hands played with my hair, as we stood silently in the darkness. His warmth radiated through his shirt and onto my skin causing my mind to run at a mile a minute. I couldn't believe this was happening. Jackson liked me. The words replayed in my head, and each time, a new wave of happiness rushed over me.

The yellow car appeared in front of the restaurant, and we hopped in. I gave the cabbie my address, smiling at Jackson as I reclined into the seat. He pulled me closer to him, my head resting on his shoulder, swaying with the bumps in the road.

When we pulled up to my house, I paid the driver before Jackson could reach for his wallet. There was no way I would allow him to pay for both dinner and the ride. My pride wouldn't allow it, even though it was nice that Jackson was being such a gentleman.

I unlocked my front door and stepped in. I rushed to take off my heels, wiggling my toes once they were out of their confines. Jackson closed and locked the door behind him. He toed off his shoes, and I showed him where to place them.

"Do you want a tour?" I questioned. He nodded, shrugging off his coat, laying it over the back of my navy couch. He moved to follow me, but before I could start, I grabbed his jacket, hanging it in the coat closet.

I started with my kitchen which was closest to where we were. It consisted of stainless steel appliances mixed in with a light blue backsplash. A breakfast bar separated the kitchen from the living and dining room.

We moved through the living room again to head up the stairs to the bedrooms. I skipped over the guest room as there wasn't much to see in there, but I clicked on the lights in my room to reveal my neatly decorated space. Like the rest of the house, the warm sentiments and family photos decorated the walls. Jackson picked up a photo on my nightstand. It was one that my mother took when I was a kid of my dad and I. I was beaming, my nose all scrunched up, while my father placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Your dad?" He asked. I nodded, walking up to him.

"Day after I finished kindergarten," I said, offering context to Jackson.

"You close to him?"

"Yeah. He's been there for me all the time. Showed up to every recital, play, graduation, and competition. I always ran to him first when I had trouble. My mom was pretty busy with all my sisters, so my dad became my confidant."

"That's nice," Jackson murmured.

"What about you?" I asked, setting down the tiny picture frame.

"My dad walked out when I was a kid. Don't know much about him." A sadness settled around Jackson, and I instantly felt bad for asking about his father.

"Oh, Jackson. I'm sorry I wouldn't have asked if I'd known." I ran a hand up and down his arm, his fist clenched as he tried to contain his emotions.

"It's ok," he reassured me. "You couldn't have known." On impulse, I reached around and gave him a tight hug, my hands clasping behind his back. It took him a moment before he returned the gesture.

"You turned out pretty great without him. He's missing out." I said into his chest, my words muffled by his chest, but Jackson understood what I meant.

"You can thank my mom. She really became supermom. She did everything. Balanced being a world-class surgeon, an Avery, and a fulltime parent. She really stepped up to the challenge when he left."

"It's sweet that you and your mom have a close relationship."

"Yeah," he agreed, but added, "even though she drives me insane most of the time." I snickered, grabbing his hand to lead us downstairs.

I got the popcorn going leaving Jackson to tend to the steaming kernels while I set up my Netflix. Plopping onto the couch, I punched at the tiny rubber buttons on my remote. I had logged in and pulled up the first of the many Harry Potter movies. Jackson joined me once he transferred the puffed snack into a bowl. I excused myself to change into something more suitable for a relaxed environment. Even though the dress was very flattering, it was really uncomfortable.

After around five minutes, I reappeared downstairs in a pair of white and navy plaid lounge pants and a light blue tee shirt. My face was cleaned and free of makeup, a step I had contemplated taking. It would be the first time that Jackson would see me without any blemish control, but I figured the dimmed lighting would make it hard for him to scrutinize my imperfections. Besides, the only thing that really changed was the appearance of my freckles. When I reached the living room again, I noticed that Jackson had opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

"I found a bottle in the fridge," he said nervously, scared he did something wrong. "I hope you don't mind." The opened bottle sat on the coffee table next to the bowl of popcorn.

"No. It's fine," I reassured. The wine and dim lights made me realize that this was like Jackson had suggested, more romantic than I had anticipated. He sat in the middle of the couch, grabbing the throw blanket to cover himself. I debated whether to sit next to him or by the edge, but Jackson patted the area next to him, so I slowly trudged towards him. Folding one leg beneath me, I grabbed my glass before leaning back. He adjusted the throw to cover me too then started the movie.

By the time Harry, Hermione, and Ron began to play the human-sized chess, I felt Jackson's eyes on me. The wine was long gone and the popcorn was too. I was far from drunk, but decently buzzed.

"What?" I whispered, slightly self-conscious. Goosebumps rose on my skin from the intensity of his gaze.

"Nothing." I expected him to focus on the movie, but when he didn't look away, I felt the energy shift between us. Slowly, Jackson adjusted his hips to align with the couch. He leaned in, and I fell flat onto the couch, my body trapped below his. He was careful not to crush me, but the subtle pressure I felt from him sent my mind into a tailspin. My legs were no longer folded neatly under me but were stretched out beneath him. Everything moved in slow motion, as he braced one arm on the armrest, the other by my face, and leaned in. His eyes closed as the distance between us lessened, but even in my drunken state, I remembered some wise words of advice. So I placed my index fingers over his lips, and once I could see his gorgeous cerulean gaze again, I gave him a lopsided smile.

"Do you not want to do this?" he questioned slightly frustrated, which was reasonable. We had toed this line before, and I had never put up much resistance. I was probably being a tease, but there was a certain way I wanted this to happen, a specific order I was supposed to follow. Neither of these included me pinned under him half drunk on my couch.

"I do. I super duper do, but Mama told me to make him wait." My words slurred slightly. I ran my hands over his shoulders as I spoke. "I don't think she would approve of this, Jackson. She told me that he's gotta hold my hand before he gets anything else." I placed a soft kiss on his cheek, my lips trailing over his skin, as I moved my mouth towards his ear. "One day, Jackson."

I slipped out from under him, turning off the tv. He sat up, eyes following me as I moved around.

"Do you want me to go?" I shook my head.

"No, it's late, and you're tipsy. You can stay in the guest room." A yawn escaped my mouth and I stretched out my tired limbs. I stood by the stairs, waiting on Jackson before going upstairs. The empty bowl and wine glasses remained on the table, and as much as I wanted to tidy up, they could wait until tomorrow. Jackson walked past me to go to the guest room, dropping a kiss to my forehead as he passed.

"One day," he repeated. "It's gonna be me and you."

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Jackson**

I laid sprawled out on the bed, thinking about last night's events. I could still feel April's petite frame under my body, her hands gently dancing across my shoulders, unsure of where to land. Blood rushed lower as I wondered what could have happened, but a knock on the door interrupted me.

"It's open," I called to April, completely forgetting about my situation. I threw off the comforter to sit up on the bed.

"I made some waffles," she announced, opening the door, but once she caught sight of me, she shrieked. "Oh my God! You're not wearing a shirt. Or pants." Her eyes were glued to the tent in my boxer-briefs before she noticed what she was doing, and what she was staring at. "I'm sorry," she squeaked, eyes darting all around the room before she spun around to give me some privacy. Her hands covered her eyes, and her pale skin was aflame. "I'll be downstairs." With that last statement, she ran out of the room. I chuckled at her innocence while she descended the stairs, but instantly felt guilty for what I was about to do.

I dashed into the bathroom to relieve myself. It wasn't too hard to finish, just imagining the redhead downstairs in certain scenarios did the trick. Grabbing some tissues, I cleaned up the mess I had made.

Before heading down, I used her mouthwash, swishing the blue liquid around a couple times before spitting it out and rinsing. I slipped into my pants and pulled on my shirt, but didn't button it up, leaving my toned chest and abdomen on display.

Her back was facing me, long auburn locks tied up in a messy bun. She was watching the waffle maker, but a plate was next to her stacked with two waffles.

"Sorry about that," I announced, my hand scratching the back of my neck, a tell-tale sign that I was uncomfortable. I could tell April was blushing again even if she wasn't facing me.

"It's-it's okay," she stuttered. "You're a guy, and it's the morning. I didn't mean to interrupt." April opened the waffle maker, placing the finished batch onto the plate. She turned around, walking around me to put the food on the table.

"You didn't interrupt anything," I lied. Technically, she did, but there was no way I would tell April that I was I fantasizing about her. "I'm so sorry that you saw that."

"It's okay," she murmured. She leaned against the breakfast bar, biting her lip. For a moment, I wondered what had captured her attention, but I noticed that her eyes weren't on my face, but instead on my exposed torso. I smirked and walked towards her.

"See something you like?" I teased. April snapped out of her daze, her eyes dropping towards the ground. Once we were toe-to-toe, I leaned in and whispered, "It's okay. I'm all yours." April gasped, and I dropped a kiss to smooth skin on her neck. Her fingers slowly traced the dips in my muscles, gently caressing my skin, so I took that as a sign to continue. When my teeth gently grazed the surface, a noisy sigh escaped her lips. I stood up and glanced down at her, the look in her eyes told me all I needed to know.

"You can't say and do things like that when I'm trying to resist you," she whimpered.

"Then don't," I challenged. She licked her lips, and I resisted the urge to kiss her, to take her right there, but April would have to take the initiative because I would never force her to do something she didn't want. Even if I was sure she was thinking about it. I wasn't that person. April took a deep breath gathering her confidence. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hands playing with my short curls. Slowly, she tiptoed to even out the height difference. "You sure?" I asked, and she nodded chewing on her lower lip. My hands found their way to her waist toying with the soft material underneath, but before anything could happen, my phone rang out. My mother's ringtone filled the empty air, and April quickly stepped out of my grasp, disappearing into the kitchen.

I groaned, running my hand over my face. My mom really had impeccable timing. I walked over to my phone, sliding the icon over to answer.

"Mom," I said curtly.

"Jackson, I'm heading back to Boston today."

"Do you need me to take you to the airport?"

"Nope," she said sweetly.

"Then why did you call?" I asked.

"Just wanted to see how things were going between you and April." Great. We were disrupted by my mother in her search for details. "How was it? You didn't come home last night, so I take it was a success."

"How was what?" I returned, playing dumb. Lots of things went down yesterday and this morning, none of them my mother was privy to.

"You know what!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "Dinner with April. This morning too, assuming you spent the night."

"Oh. Nothing happened," I responded causing her to groan loudly.

"Come on Jackson. Something had to," she supplicated. I shook my head, she really didn't know when to stop. "Do not tell me I faked a page to leave the two of you in one of the most romantic restaurants in Seattle just for you to waste the opportunity because you couldn't tell her how you felt." My eyes widened at her admission.

"You faked a page?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, sweetie. It wasn't the first time. Back to you and April. Please tell me that you guys got somewhere."

"My God, mom! How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my love life?"

"Come on Jackson. My curiosity is killing me."

"Well, you're not getting anything out of me." I hung up the phone before my mother could probe anymore. By the time I was finished with my phone call, April was seated at the table eating her breakfast. She had cut some strawberries and set out the syrup and whipped cream. I took a seat across from her, and she handed me a plate with two waffles.

"Sorry about that." I scooped some fruits onto my plate and made a mountain of whipped cream.

"No problem." She took a sip of her coffee. I took a big bite of my breakfast, whipped cream coating my lips. I licked the sugary fluff off before swallowing.

"This is really good," I complimented, hoping to ease the tension.

"Thanks. It's my mom's recipe."

"Tell her it's really good."

"You can tell her yourself in October," she quipped. She took a deep breath before she continued. "Sorry I was being a tease last night. I know that I hadn't stopped you before."

"I would never pressure you to do something, April," I told her earnestly. "That's not me. You gave me a reason, and I respect that."

"Well, it's not just about my mom and her approval," she admitted. "I was a little scared."

"Of what?" My eyes widened, terrified I done something to put her on edge. That was the last thing I wanted.

"I can't explain it. I just knew that if we started last night, there was no way I would be able to stop." I smiled relief flooding my system. She was new to this which explained her innocence and wariness when it came to intimacy.

"We can go as slow as you want. Back to your mother, what other dating advice did she give you? Besides making him, well, me wait."

"Oh. Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, "I want to know every rule there is to dating a Kepner. I wanna do this right."

"We're dating?" she asked slightly shocked.

"If you want to, then yeah."

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. "Well, she's very traditional. Both my parents are, but her especially. She taught me that a relationship is founded in emotional intimacy, then comes physical stuff. You have to take a Kepner out on a date and hold her hand before the first kiss."

"Hmmm. We haven't been on a date, but we've almost kissed multiple times."

"True," April agreed. "I never said I was following her model exactly, but I'm trying my best to stick to it even though you're making it practically impossible."

"I am?"

"Yeah, you are."

"How?" I asked while shoveling another forkful of food into my mouth.

"Literally everything you do makes me want to break the rules my mom has set in place."

"I'm just that good," I replied with a cocky grin. April rolled her eyes.

"Get over yourself," she teased. The banter continued back and forth, but eventually, I had to go home. I called the cab company before I buttoned up my shirt, and April watched me out of the corner of her eye. She thought she was being sly about it, but I couldn't ignore her obvious stare.

April walked me to the door, placing a kiss on my cheek before I opened it to leave. I stepped out and heard the heavy oak plank close behind me, but after a few seconds, it opened again. I turned around confused. I hadn't left anything behind. April rocket towards me, her red hair out of its bun, and flying behind her. She grabbed me by my collar, pulling me in for a searing kiss. My hands grabbed her petite waist, tugging her in closer. When she leaned away for air, I opened my eyes, pleasantly surprised by what occurred.

"What happened to making me wait?"

"I couldn't resist anymore. You have no idea how much I wanted to do that," she whispered breathlessly.

"I think I do." I licked my lips, ducking back down to capture her mouth once more. One hand found its way into her soft red hair, the other on her back keeping her close to me. She moaned softly when I tugged on her lower lip, sending jolts down my spine. I tried my best to keep my hands from wandering further down since we were in public, but with each moment that passed, my resolve was crumbling. Eventually, April backed up, breaking the impromptu makeout session.

"We better stop before my neighbors get any ideas." Her lips were slightly puffy, and I'm sure that mine were too.

"Yeah, I should go." She smiled softly, as the cab approached.

I grinned the whole ride home, the cabbie giving me a knowing look. My mom had already left for Boston, and she had left a note saying that she would call me when she landed, but my mind was preoccupied. I had done it. I had followed Mark's advice and I got the girl.

Over the next couple of weeks, we kept our relationship on the down low. April didn't want any of our coworkers to get the rumor mill going, so we strategically planned when to eat lunch together. Some days I would eat with Mark, and she would dine with Reed and the other girls. We had gone on a couple of dates, once to bowling, twice to Due' Italiana Cucina. I made sure to hold her hand before I kissed her sweetly while we were out. When we were alone in her living room or mine, the passion was a little less restrained. With wandering hands, breathy moans, and frenzied kisses, it was a wonder how we hadn't sealed the deal yet. I know we weren't dating for too long, a little less than a month, but the sexual tension was becoming unbearable. I knew that April felt the pull between us too with the way she struggled to end our little romps, but she was committed to saving herself, and I wouldn't be the one who made her break that promise.

Homecoming came by with Arizona constantly dropping hints about April's supposedly single status. Little did she know, I already had already taken care of that.

I walked into the gym ready to get to work with the sun setting on my heels. I was greeted by a frustrated Reed telling two kids to dance appropriately, or they would get kicked out.

"Hey, Reed." She spun around quickly.

"Finally," she sighed. "What took you so long?"

"Traffic. Why?"

"It's sorta hard to keep all these horny teenagers in line when it's just me. Alex disappeared with Izzie. George can't do anything, and Lexie ditched to be with Mark." She walked around with confidence, on the prowl for anyone who broke the rules. I trailed behind her, dodging girls in fancy dresses, and young men in suits.

"Where's April?"

"Somewhere," she replied, waving her hands around in the air. "She's too nice to the kids. They don't listen to her. Also, I think she drank the punch."

"Oh." I knew what that meant. Everybody knew that the fruit flavored drink would be spiked. Hell, I used to spike the punch, but it didn't surprise me that April was clueless about these social norms.

When I found her, the sun had set and the music had switched from EDM to soft love songs. April stood in the corner of the gym, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She rocked back and forth on her feet, her eyes scanning the dark gym.

"Jackman," she chirped when she caught sight of me. "You should drink this. It tastes a little funny, but it's good." She handed me a half-filled cup. I took it from her and dumped it in the trash. "Hey!" she whined. "If you didn't want it, you could have given it back to me," she pouted.

"How many cups did you have?" I asked.

"Three. Why?"

"You're drunk."

"No-no I'm not. I haven't had anything alcoholic to drink." Her brows were furrowed, and her lips were pursed. I shook my head in disagreement.

"The punch." She took her time processing what I said, and when it dawned on her, her eyes widened, and a hand flew over her mouth.

"But-but," she sputtered, "that's illegal. They aren't allowed to."

"They do anyway. Come on. Let's sit." April slowly lowered herself onto the bleachers. She looked around, amazed with the multicolored lights, and the disco ball.

"Ohhh," April gasped. I looked over, trying to see what caught her attention. She pointed to a couple slow dancing to whatever sappy love song was playing. "They're cute." She smiled melancholically at them. Then it hit me, April never had any of those experiences. She never got to drink spiked punch at a dance, or slow dance with her date. So when the crisp air of the night cleared her head, I darted over to the DJ, slipping him a couple of bucks to stay a little later. I gave him a song to play before I ran back to April. "Dance with me." She turned to face me, her hazel eyes wide and reflective.

"No, Jackson. We're supposed to be monitoring the kids." I glanced around at the mostly empty building.

"What kids?" I retorted, motioning around. It was nearing closing time, and a majority of the students had cleared out of the dance. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the middle of the dimmed room. "It'll be fun." The song of my choice came onto the speakers, while I pulled April into me.

_From the way you smile to the way you look_

_You capture me unlike no other_

_From the first hello, yeah, that's all it took_

_And suddenly we had each other_

One hand was intertwined with hers, the other on her waist. We swayed along to the melodies of the piano.

"This song's on my playlist." She smiled brightly at me, her hands gripping onto me a little tighter than before.

"I know," I whispered into her ear.

_And I won't leave you_

_Always be true_

_One plus one, two for life_

_Over and over again_

It was the one I couldn't recognize on the day we were cleaning our rooms. She placed her ear on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, as we moved along to the vocal riff.

_So, don't ever think I need more_

_I've got the one to live for_

_No one else will do, I'm telling you_

_Just put your heart in my hands_

I stepped back and spun April around. Like her dress, her hair swayed in the air, captivating my attention. She moved back into my space, her head fitting under my chin like a puzzle piece.

_Promise it won't get broken_

_We'll never forget this moment_

_Yeah, we'll stay brand-new 'cause I love you_

_Over and over again_

_Over and over again_

I closed my eyes, soaking in the moment. April's hand on my bicep drawing circles on my skin, her warm breath falling on my chest. Her perfume mingling with the stagnant air of the gym. The subtle hints of alcohol on her from the punch, the beautiful blush that was caused by it. The stray flyaways that danced around as was moved, tickling my chin. I wanted to tuck this moment away, remember it forever.

A loud cough snapped us from our little bubble. Reed stood with a smug grin on her face, glad she caught us red-handed, but she still looked slightly pissed.

"So, I have to make sure the teenagers aren't sucking face, but on top of that, I also have to make sure that you two keep it in your pants. Yay me," she exclaimed sarcastically. "The dance is over. I need some help cleaning up. Then, you lovebirds can go do whatever or whoever you want." April's face flushed in embarrassment, but she followed Reed towards the back of the gym.

I stared at my redhead's retreating figure feeling immensely lucky that I was the one who got to have the first dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup Broskis. I posted everything I had written for this fic. I was gonna do it on a more regular basis, but clearly, I can't stick to a schedule. So here's everything. The song I used was Over and Over Again by Nathan Sykes. This chapter got semi-spicy. It's probably my fave chapter so far, but we're not done yet. I don't really think that I write spicy well. I'm a vanilla person. Not really. I hate vanilla, I'm more of a chocolate person, but I'm pretty plain. I just couldn't shake the idea of Jackson and his little friend. Also, I've only been to one dance. I went to Homecoming in my freshman year. I ended up studying at the dance. That and third-wheeling on my friends and their boyfriends. We didn't have punch at our dance. We did have a dance off though. March is gonna be a little busy for me. I may not be able to get a chapter up, so I'm making it up this month. This is gonna be my third post for February, so I'm hoping that's okay. I do have something started, but I'm not sure what the timeline is on that (it got a little heated so I took a step back). If you're wondering why I'll be busy, it's because of swim season and I have to start preparing for Certificate of Merit piano stuff. Oh, one last thing before I close. I just want to be clear. Jackson and April didn't kiss last chapter. April put a stop to that attempt. They did this chapter though. As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I wanna know what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

**April**

"Okay, class. That's all for today. Tomorrow I will not be here so you guys will have a sub. You will be writing your essay maps for  _To Kill a Mockingbird_. Please behave yourselves. Remember that we have no school on Monday because it is Columbus Day. I will see you all on Tuesday. Have a great week." The students began to pack their stuff up when Stephanie raised her hand. "Yes, Stephanie."

"Ms. Kepner, if you don't mind, what will you be doing tomorrow?" She got up and walked towards my desk.

"I will be on a flight back to Ohio for the weekend to attend a wedding." Stephanie cocked her brow and slung her backpack over one shoulder. Jo joined her with her things in tow.

"Mr. Avery told us earlier this week that he was also going to be going to Ohio. It doesn't make sense. He doesn't even have family there. He's from Boston." The confused look on Stephanie's face made it clear she was puzzled about the situation, but her friend quickly provided an answer, as Jo's jaw dropped and her eyes began to twinkle.

"OMG!" she squealed, "Mr. Avery is your date!" A blush flitted across my cheeks only confirming her suspicions.

"Fine," I admitted, "He's going with me. You guys better get going before you're late for his class." Both girls turned to leave, whispering to each other.

"Bye, Ms. Kepner. Have fun with Mr. Avery at the wedding." A chorus of giggles followed them as they left my room. I softly chuckled at their enthusiasm, remembering a time where everything could elicit giggles. I wrote the substitute a note, and when I was done, I stopped by the office before leaving the campus.

By now, Reed had spread the word that something was going between Jackson and I. We were meet with cheers and congratulations when we walked into the staff lounge the Monday after Homecoming. Mark clapped him on the back, saying something about his advice paying off. Reed and Callie owed Arizona some money. They believed that Jackson would have the guts to make a move until after winter break, but Arizona had confidence in her protégé, betting on anytime before Thanksgiving.

Richard had also caught wind of our relationship status, evident with his smile when I mentioned Jackson and I wouldn't be in for school tomorrow. He wished that the trip would be fun, and I quickly assured him it would, there was no doubt about that. Well, maybe I was a little doubtful about seeing my sisters and old high school crush again, but I wasn't too worried about it.

Heading home to finish packing, I was still debating between which dress I should wear to the wedding, but everything was carefully stowed away inside my black carry on. I gave my packed items one last glance before zipping it up when my phone buzzed. It was a text from Libby.

_Received: I can't wait to see you tomorrow and meet your mysterious date. This weekend is going to be so much fun! I'll see you at dinner tomorrow. Love ya Duckie._

_Sent: I can't wait to see you too. As for my date, you guys are going to love him. I'm sure of it. Do we need to bring anything to dinner tomorrow? We can stop by to grab something from the city before we head out. See you soon Libby._

I quickly zipped up my luggage after double checking that I had packed everything and placed it near the front door for easy access when Jackson picked me up in four hours. I plopped myself onto my couch and finished grading some vocab tests so that I would be able to return them the Tuesday we returned to school. The doorbell rang right after I set my pen down to take a quick break. I quickly made my way towards the front door and was greeted by Jackson's smiling face.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yep," I replied perkily. I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. After I gave him a tight hug, I murmured, "I can't wait to spend the weekend with you."

"Hmmm," he hummed, "You know we won't have any time to be alone right. We're gonna be at your parents' house, and I don't think they want to see us make out."

"God no," I scoffed. "They don't even think I'm seeing anyone."

"You haven't talked about me?" He looked a little sad with a slight furrow of his brow.

"I haven't really talked to them much last month," I excused, but he saw right through that. "Fine. I called my mom once, and my sisters called here and there, but we talked about their lives, not mine." When he still looked like a petulant child, I resorted to the one thing I knew would cheer him up.

"No. I'm sorry I haven't mentioned you to them. We haven't been dating that long. Besides, you were always gonna visit them. The only difference now is that you're my boyfriend and not just my friend." I wrapped my arms around his neck, dropping a couple of tiny kisses onto his skin and sucked on the place between his chiseled jaw and neck.

"What if they don't like me?" he whined. His stubble scratched at my skin leaving a trail of red as he spoke, but I couldn't care less.

"I'm not worried about that. My parents are going to love you," I reassured him. "I think that we should take advantage of the hour we have before we need to leave." I felt a small chuckle erupt in him under my touch causing relief to bubble inside me. He bent down, placing an arm under my thighs to urge me up. I complied easily and wrapped my legs around his torso.

A couple of hickeys and a solid makeout session later, I moved off of my boyfriend to catch my breath. He took a deep breath before moving to grab my things and put them in the car. I grabbed a light coat, meeting Jackson in the foyer. He grabbed my suitcase, placing it in the trunk of his car. The drive to the airport was long as we had were stuck in evening traffic. Luckily, I had checked us in the day before, and we weren't going to check in our luggage, so once we arrived at the airport, we made our way through security and headed towards our gate.

Two hours remained before the flight would board and neither of us had eaten dinner yet. We walked into a restaurant that was close to our gate, and the hostess quickly seated us as most of the tables were empty. I rolled my carry towards the table, and Jackson trailed closely behind. I skimmed the menu and settled for a small soup and salad. Jackson ordered a beer along with a burger. The waitress left with our order and the plastic menus.

"I just wanted to thank you again for doing this." I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I offed. I do have one question though."

"What is it?" Jackson cleared his throat and licked his lips before he began.

"Will we be sharing a room? I mean- I'm grateful that your parents are letting us stay with them and everything, but I was just curious about the sleeping arrangement." I paused a moment, letting the question steep before allowing my laughter to escape. His uneasiness turned to defensiveness at my enthusiasm. "What's so funny?"

"You really think that my mom will allow me to share a room with you?" I gasped for air. There was no way in hell my mother would allow one of her daughters to share a room with a man, especially if they weren't married. "This is the woman who told my sister to leave room for Jesus when she had her first dance with her now husband."

"And?"

"At their wedding, Jackson. Their wedding. Alice was dating him for five years before they tied the knot. Never once did she allow them, or any of my sisters and their boyfriends, to share a room. I really don't think that she'd be cool with us sleeping together in the same bed. Hell, she still gives my sisters the glare when their husbands follow them into the same bedroom."

"Why?"

"She likes to think that her children are uh- not indulging in their desires, Her house. Her rules. So, no. We will most definitely not be sharing a room, especially since there are more than enough beds to go around." I answered. Jackson took my words at that, grabbing his dinner and stuffed his face. I drank my soup, blowing at the creamy red liquid every so often.

We chowed down our dinners when we heard the announcement over the loudspeakers that our flight was boarding. Like always, Jackson placed his card down before I could grab my purse. This time, I didn't fight it like I normally would have, thoroughly surprising him, but I was more focused on catching our plane.

I settled in my seat, pulling my seat buckle over my lap, and tightening it to my frame. Jackson plopped into his seat, relaxing as best as he could in the cramped space. I peered out into the darkness, the sun was long gone, but the tarmac was illuminated with lights that guided incoming and outgoing planes.

I felt Jackson's gaze on the back of my head. I lazily turned my head, never letting it lift from the headrest.

"What?" I asked quietly after taking him in for a minute. The lights onboard had dimmed to allow the passengers to sleep as this was a redeye flight.

"Nothing." He said, his gaze not leaving mine.

"You should go to sleep. We still have a layover and a long drive ahead of us."

"Yeah. I should," he agreed and slowly closed his eyes.

When the plane lifted off, I closed my eyes and braced in my seat. Flying had always given me some anxiety even if I knew it was more likely that I would die in a car crash then in an aircraft. Plane crashes garnered more media attention, the new constantly repeating the massive loss of life and enormous property damage caused. All these narratives caused me to be just a little scared of air travel.

I sensed that my heart began to race, adrenaline pumping as I started to run through all the horrible scenarios that might befall us. I took deep breaths, attempting to calm myself.

A warm hand overlapped mine. I looked over to see Jackson, eyes closed and his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin.

"We're going to be fine," he murmured groggily. "Before you know it we're going to be at your parents, eating dinner with all your sisters." I exhaled sharply, my nerves calming momentarily. "Come here," he yawned. I followed his request, lifting the metal divider that separated us, and leaned into him. He draped an arm around me, and let his head rest on mine.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"Anytime," he slurred as he drifted away. I followed suit and let the steady rise and fall of Jackson's chest lure me into a peaceful trance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hola Brochachos. March has been high key busy, just like I predicted it to be. What's even better is the fact that I got sick and I haven't gotten better for a solid week. So if anything weird happened in this chapter, I probably am not aware of it. I also hurt my knee. So I'm like a crippled grandma in high school. It's been great. Anyways, all my grades sorta suck so there's that. I'm also pretty sure that my swim coach hates me. I mean I get it. I come to practice late, I eat tons of junk food right before I swim, and I skipped like one practice. But tbh she is soooooo passive aggressive it's not even funny. I'm really close to the swim captains so I always vent to them, but it turns out that a lot of them don't really like her either. The only problem is that she could be my Spanish teacher next year. She is predisposed to hate me. *slams keyboard* why is this my life? I do have to say that this chapter was a little bit of a filler, but meh. I'm too dead to try and fix it. On a happier note, my history teacher just had a son. And it is literally the cutest thing ever. Anyways, I've been working to try and bring my grades up and not die in the process. I have been prepping a little more for my new idea I mentioned earlier, but I'm still giving this fic some love. The next chapter is family dinner with the Kepners. I can't wait.


	16. Chapter 16

**Jackson**

The car slowed to a stop, the sound of gravel crunching under the weight of the halting tires ceased to fill the air. I stirred slightly, but not enough for me to open my eyes. 

“Jackson,” April whispered, nudging my arm gently. “We’re here.”

“Five more minutes,” I murmured, nestling further into the seat. A sigh escaped from her lips before she dug her fingers into my side and gave a good hard pinch. 

“Ouch!” My limbs flew out haphazardly, my posture rigid, and when I looked over, April seemed perfectly content with the reaction she garnered. “What was that for?”

“I told you to get up. They’re waiting on us. I'm gonna go. Can you bring our bags?" I nodded while letting out a yawn. She opened her door and made the trek up the front porch. I followed her instructions, rounding around the back of the car and popping open the truck to grab our things. High pitched squealing in the distance caught my attention, but I figured that it was probably just the Kepner women greeting one another. With the bags in tow, I headed up the long dirt driveway and into the view of her family. It seemed that everyone had squeezed themselves onto the front veranda to greet us.

"Oh. My. God," a redhead punctuated dramatically. "Is that him?" she asked April in a harsh whisper. I chuckled and gently let go of the bags, sticking my hand out to shake hers.

"Hi, I'm Jackson. I'm April's boyfriend." The lady in front of me was dazed as she returned the gesture, but the squealing that I had anticipated erupted, and a frenzy of chaos descended around April.

"Boyfriend?" her mother asked. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"It's new," April explained shyly. 

"He's hot!" one girl yelled, and the rest chimed in agreement. "Who woulda thunk that he's hot?"

"Or real?" another one added. I rolled my eyes at their rudeness, this was going to be a long couple of days.

"Where in the world did you score a guy like this Duckie?"

"Okay, ladies. I'm hungry, and the food must be getting cold, so can we go in?" an older man asked. "Hi, Jackson. I'm April's dad. You can call me Joe."

"Nice to meet you," I greeted with a nice handshake. 

"Here. Lemme help you with that." Joe grabbed April's luggage and guided me into the house, placing hers in one room before leading me down the hall to mine. 

When we joined the rest of the family downstairs, they had their hands extended around the large table in preparation to say grace. 

"You don't have to do this," April whispered in my ear once I sat down next to her.

"It's fine." Her mother led the prayer, blessing the food and company that had gathered.

"And all God's people said..."

"Amen," the family closed.

"Let's eat," Joe announced. April passed around the string beans while her sisters introduced themselves. Libby, Kimmie, and Alice all sat next to one another, their husbands joking around on their left. The kids were seated in the casual dining area near the kitchen.

"So, Duckie. You never answered me when I first asked. How in the world did you score a man like Jackson?" April blushed, slightly embarrassed, but I noticed her grip on her fork tighten at the nickname. 

"We met at work, new teacher's orientation," I answered quickly. "And if anybody in this relationship got lucky, it's me."

"Okay, but are you actually dating, or is this some ploy to get us off your back for being a spinster, April?" Alice asked.

"We're actually dating Alice. And I'm not even that old! Just because I didn't get married right after high school or college doesn't mean I'm a spinster."

"Pffft," Kimmie snorted. "Come on. Who are you kidding?" April bit on her lip, aggressively stabbing her slice of steak with her fork.

"Stop! Please, just stop. April's great," I defended, reaching over to grab her hand. She looked at me uneasily, but I continued to talk. "She's a respected teacher. She cares about her students and her colleagues. And she's beautiful and funny and kind and strong. Sometimes she's a little eccentric, but it's the good crazy. The kind you fall in love with." With that word, her mother choked on her food. 

"Mom," April exclaimed, rushing to her side. She was seemingly unfazed by my subtle declaration of love which was not what I was expecting. I imagined more stuttering and blushing and awkwardness, but I could work with this. "Oh my gosh. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she rasped. "I'm fine sweetie. I'm just a little shocked."

"Aren't we all," Kimmie muttered causing me to glare in her direction. She took a sip of her wine and shrugged at me. April returned to her seat once her mother was no longer coughing up a storm. The silence in the room was palpable, so when Joe cleared his throat, all eyes turned to him.

"So, I know that wasn't what we expected to happen tonight, but let's just finish dinner. Okay?" The four sisters nodded, slightly embarrassed with the turn of events.

"It was sorta expected," one of the husbands quipped. The others chuckled along and eventually, laughter infected the rest of the table.

After dinner and dessert finished, the Kepners filed out of the door, the husbands and kids first, but Libby, Kimmie, and Alice approached April. I stood in the foyer, watching the scene unfold just in case I needed to step in. 

"Hey, we're sorry about taunting you." Kimmie and Alice fidgeted with their jackets as they apologized.

"It's fine," April replied.

"No, we overstepped this time and we wanted to apologize. We knew what buttons to push, and we pushed them even though we knew that they hurt you. I think I speak for us all when I say even though we tease you, we love you." Libby announced sincerely.

"Aww. You guys, come here." The sisters pulled each other in for a hug. "It really hasn't changed since we were children."

"It really hasn't," Alice confirmed. The redheads walked out the door, one-by-one, but before the youngest left, she said, "He's a good one. Don't let him go."

"I won't." A smile took over my features, but a strong hand on my shoulder shook me out of my daze.

"We need to talk." Joe looked me dead in the eye, the seriousness of his words sending fear rippling down my spine. He handed me a cold one before we walked out onto the porch. He sat down on the chair and took a long sip of his drink, sighing before addressing me again. "Love, huh."

"Yeah. It sorta just slipped out."

"Do you mean it?" Did I? Undeniably, April was the best part of my day. I couldn't see myself as a teacher without her next door to my classroom. She had me, all of me.

"Yeah. I really do."

"Good. If you said it just because and didn't mean it, I might have had to whoop you ass." I spat out my beer, the ale dribbling down my chin.

"What?"

"I wouldn't want for you to get April's hopes up only to let her down. April deserves someone that treats her like the sun."

"I understand."

"I don't know if you talked about this, but we're conservative. Her mom, more than me, but I stick to what she has to say. No shenanigans are going to happen, especially in this house. Got that?"

"Loud and clear. She told me about her beliefs, and I respect them, and really, she's worth the wait."

"Good to know. You're a good match for her. Anyway, it's getting late, and I have to get up early to work on the farm, so I'm going to head up. Goodnight, Jackson."

"Night, Joe." I finished the rest of my beer and walked up to the room I was given. 

"Jackson," April called out. I turned around, finding her looking perfectly entrancing in her pajamas. "Can we talk?" I nodded and followed her into her childhood bedroom. There sure was a lot of discussions going on tonight. "So, at dinner, you said a little something about my crazy being something that's loveable. You know, I've never heard that before. It's been deemed annoying or irritating." April paced around her room, her brows furrowing, and arms making grand gestures as she spoke. So, here was the freak out I was expecting earlier. I watched on, as she continued her monologue. "So, here I am, just a little confused as to what is going on because I'm a little out of my depth here. I've never had my quirky qualities embraced like that. Not even my sisters were that accepting of them, you know? Of course, you know. Dinner was horrendous. And- and then you said all those incredibly nice things about me, and it felt amazing, but I know that it can't be real. Nobody sees me that way. I mean, come on. I'm me." April let out a self-deprecating laugh, causing me to step in and stop her nervous pacing.

"April, You're you. You're everything and more, and if you can't see that, I'll show you. Because you deserve it, more than anyone."

"Jackson, you can't be serious."

“But I am,” I retorted. I cradled her face in my hands, and she wrapped her fingers around mine. “April, everything I said about you at dinner was true, and it’s for the best if you start believing it.” She looked up at me, a shy smile gracing her features. “So I’m gonna go because I told your dad that no funny business would happen in his house. Goodnight, April. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Jackson.”

I walked to my room, grabbing a change of clothes and some towels before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. When I came out, the house was quiet, and all the rooms were dark, so imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner and the lights suddenly came on to reveal a tiny Karen Kepner standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Jesus Christ," I exhaled. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry, but why were you in my daughter's room?" Great. Another person for me to talk to. It seemed that I was quite popular tonight. Maybe I should go talk to the cows once I was done with Karen, would they be interested in what I had to say? I cleared my throat, getting my head on straight before answering her question.

"We were talking about what I said at dinner."

"Ahhh, did she finally take notice of the big L-word?" I nodded along.

"Something like that, but I got the situation under control."

"Good. At least she's beginning to talk about these things. When she was little, she would just let her worries eat away at her sanity until it was the only thing she could think about." 

"I figured. I have one question though that I wasn't sure whether or not to ask her about."

"What is it?" Karen probed.

"Duckie. The nickname that April has. What does it stand for? It's clear that she doesn't like it."

"Her sisters gave it to her when they were kids. We know that it rubs her the wrong way, but it sorta became a habit to call her that. As for the meaning, I'll leave April to tell you." The tiny redhead walked towards the light switch but stopped before shutting them off. "One more thing regarding April."

"Yeah?"

"She's a good girl, sweet and innocent. You better not be taking advantage of her, so I don't want to see you sneaking into her room anymore."

"Oh. Okay. Night?"

"Goodnight Jackson."

When I finally reached my room, I tossed my dirty clothes into a bag before crawling under the covers. The Kepners were really protective over their children, but I guess it was to be expected. I had made it through day one of this trip. Only three more to go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola! April. April. April. I've been super busy this month. Between swimming drama, piano tests, and academic pressures, I've been running around like a chicken without its head. I finally got this chapter done. I have to say it took me like forever to write this one. I sacrificed so much time doing this instead of doing really big projects for school or studying for my physics final and AP test. Yikes! Anyways, I'm going skiing tomorrow, so maybe I'll have time to churn out another chapter? Who knows? Have a great month kiddos.


	17. Chapter 17

**April**

"Do you take Joseph Willis as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do," Moriah answered. The priest turned to Joseph, asking the same question. Joseph's grip on his bride's hand's tightened, and a wide smile spread across his face.

"I do."

"Bride and Groom, in the presence of God, your family, and friends today, you have spoken the words and performed the rites which unite your lives. It is my legal right as a minister and my greatest joy and privilege to declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The newly minted married couple did as they were told, Moriah's hands gently cupping her husband's face while his rested on her waist as they kissed.

Applause erupted from the audience, and I wiped a stray tear from my cheek, trying my best to not smudge my makeup. Upon seeing my dewy eyes, Jackson freaked out and asked if everything was okay, but little did he know that crying at weddings was just another one of my quirks. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good love story.

As the cheers died down, Jackson placed a hand on my lower back, guiding me out of the sea of chairs and towards the reception hall. I had gotten a steak for dinner, but Jackson chose the salmon. Lively conversation was exchanged during the meal, and the couple made the rounds to the tables to thank everybody for coming to the wedding. When they approached our table, things became a little more awkward for both of us. Jackson left to give us a little privacy and the two other people dining with us were enraptured by their phones.

"April," Joseph said after clearing his throat. He looked at Moriah for support, who nodded her head, urging him to continue. "We're sorry about the way that we started." He motioned to the two of them. The blonde ran her hands down her dress, trying her best to smooth it out. "This is really overdue, but we really regret that you got caught in the middle." Moriah bit her lip, worried that I would throw a fit, but I smiled slightly before responding.

"Thanks," I sighed. "I accept your apology." Moriah let go of the breath she was holding, a weight lifting off her shoulders. "This is a beautiful wedding. You guys make a cute couple," I said earnestly.

"Thank you, April. We're so glad that you could come."

When they had moved along to the next table, I scoured the crowd in search for my sister. Libby hadn't said much, but from what I had gathered, she hadn't even known that Joseph's bride was Moriah until after I had agreed to come. My mother was next on my list of people to interrogate, as I was sure she would have known something in advance. When I did confront her, she folded and dished up her plans to get me back to Ohio. Apparently, she knew that Moriah was going to be here, but hadn't bothered to tell any of us as she wanted us all to show up to the wedding, especially me. After she saw how uncomfortable I was with being left in the dark, she apologized, but I quickly assured her that it wasn't a big deal anymore.

The sun was setting as the newlyweds swayed on the dance floor to a romantic country hit. Jackson had gone to go get another glass of champagne while I worked my way through the first one leaving me alone at the table with only my thoughts for company.

"This seat taken?" I turned my head to find myself staring into a pair of chocolate brown eyes belonging to the former star football player of our year.

"Kyle? Kyle Johnson?"

"That's me. Hey, April. It's good to see you. We missed having you here in Moline," he winked with a charming smile. I choked back a snort. The words coming out of his mouth couldn't sound more disingenuous. He and his girlfriend at the time made my life a living hell as a kid, so whatever he was doing now was clearly with the wrong intentions.

"I've missed being here as well," I responded with a polite smile. Across the room, Jackson turned around with his filled glass and headed back to our table much to my relief. That was until a girl grabbed onto his arm, pulling him to the side. Sighing, I turned back to Kyle to quickly excuse myself.

I stormed off in the direction that I saw Jackson disappeared to, my heels tapping against the concrete floor while I walked outside.

"Jackson?" I heard a lady ask, to which, Jackson just hummed in agreement. "You came with April right?"

"Yeah."

"How's she doing nowadays? I hear she's a teacher in Seattle," the woman questioned with feigned interest in my life. I hid around the corner, eavesdropping on their conversation. My mother always said that it was a bad habit of mine, but it's a perk that comes with going unnoticed for most of your life.

"Yeah. We're both teachers at Seattle Grace High. What is this about? If you're interested in April's life you could always just ask her."

"We both know I didn't steal you for a moment to talk about her. I want to know about you," she whispered seductively. I peeked my head around the corner to see the brunette leaning into Jackson's personal space, her hand resting on his chest.

Anger bubbled inside me. Who was this girl, and what did she want with Jackson? Actually, it was clear what she desired, and as much as I wanted to blow my cover and rip her tiny hands off my boyfriend's chest, I was equally as interested to see how Jackson would handle the situation.

"Look," Jackson snapped, a little perturbed, "I don't know you, and I don't really plan on getting to know you, so if you don't mind, I want to go back to the reception and dance with my girlfriend." He brushed off her hand and walked headed straight towards me.

I ducked back, trying my best to look normal and not at all like I was snooping around, but attempting to seem natural under pressure never seems to go as planned. He bumped into me confused for a moment, but then caught my drift with a slight smirk on his plush lips.

"What?" I rasped, my voice muted.

"Were you following me?"

"Maybe," I murmured nonchalantly. His eyes had a mischievous glint to them, as he trapped me between his body and the wall. The loud clicks of the other woman's heels rang throughout the hallway, a loud humph falling from her lips when she spotted us. "Do I have anything to worry about?" I questioned.

"Nope," Jackson quipped. "Nothing at all, but I think you already know that. Don't you?" He tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear, gently tracing the curve of my jaw once he was done.

"Maybe, but I'd like proof," I answered with a cheeky smile. A grin broke out on his face, as he moved in. He lips touched mine gently at first but soon became a searing, branding kiss. He kept me pinned against the wall, completely at his mercy, his heat radiating onto me. My hands danced on his shoulders before I pulled away for a moment.

"You want to dip?" I sighed contently, as his forehead rested against mine.

"I was beginning to think that you'd never ask," Jackson groaned. I giggled, and he stepped back to give me space, my body instantly missing the warmth that he provided. He slipped his hand into mine as we walked out to the car. I sent Libby a text telling her that I was exhausted and was heading home.

His lips were on my neck as I unlocked the front door, his hands cradling my hips.

"Jackson," I groaned, finding the resolve to pull myself away from him, "as much as I love what you're doing, we can't."

"I know," he whispered into my neck, sporadically kissing my exposed skin. "Believe me I know." Jackson spun me around, holding me in his sturdy arms as the moonlight danced around him. "Have I told you how beautiful you look?" I blushed, averting my gaze from his searing one.

"Once. Before the ceremony."

"I guess I thought it more than I said it."

"It's just the dress Jackson." I was wearing the red lace one that Jackson had chosen many months ago. He had good taste, as the red hadn't washed out my complexion. To be honest, I looked hotter than I even thought I was capable of.

"It's not the dress," he argued. "It's you. You're gorgeous. Everyday April. Even when it's six in the morning, and you're buried in papers to grade, and you haven't had your coffee yet, and especially when you've just woken up."

"Jackson," I gulped, my heart racing, "I- I don't know what to say." Maybe this was just the champagne talking, but I doubted it. The way that he's been treating me, the praise he's showered me with, betrays the notion.

"Nothing's good," he breathed before his lips descended back onto mine, "You don't need to say anything."

He left my room in the early morning after a hot and heavy makeout session. I stayed, staring at the ceiling, basking in the moment. I could feel myself falling. 'To what?' one may ask, I don't know, but I could sense something change. As I drifted off, the idea of soulmates and the one flitted through my brain, hoping that he felt the same.

Sunlight from the window poured into my room, gently luring me from my peaceful state. After a good minute of staring at the ceiling, I got out of bed and checked Jackson's room. When I pushed open the door to the room where he was staying, I was met with an already made bed and no personal effects on the bedside table. His bag was squared away in the corner still, so I was sure that he hadn't ditched me and flown back to Seattle.

I clambered down the stairs, rubbing my eyes as I descended. My mother stood in the kitchen scrubbing away at some grime on the countertop, but Jackson was nowhere to be found.

"He's not here," my mother called out while she worked.

"Huh?"

"Jackson," she clarified. "He went out to help your father with some chores before you got up."

"He did?" I asked in disbelief. I walked towards the window facing the stables to see if I could catch my boyfriend at work, but the other ginger in the room snapped for my attention before pointing to the fields of corn. As I walked closer, I saw a tractor in the distance, but the driver wasn't the typical farmer. It was Jackson. I cocked my head in confusion, and my mom took her place beside me, hands on her hips, gazing out to the men at work.  "Jackson driving a tractor... What is going on?"

"You tell me, sweetie. Something's different between you two." He motherly glare analyzed me in her search for answers.  

"Nothing's different," I murmured. "Absolutely nothing."

"Kyle was asking for you."

"He was?"

"Yeah. He wanted your number, but I didn't want to give it to him without your permission." Thank the Lord, I silently rejoiced. "He seemed interested in you, but I told him that he was a little too late, given Jackson and everything. He did say that if things ever did go south between you and Jackson, to give him a call."

"Yeah," I grimaced at the thought, "no thank you."

The two of us moved back towards the kitchen, my mother taking off her apron and hanging it up, pouring me a cup of coffee before joining me on the couch.

"Thank you very much," I said as I grabbed the cup, taking a big sip and savoring the bitterness on my tongue. My mother sat across from me, watching me as I drank.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

The door swung open and a shirtless, sweaty Jackson wandered through the door.

"Morning, babe. Mrs. Kepner," He announced, kissing the top of my head, as he passed. My eyes were glued to his toned abs, oblivious of my mother's watching eye. "I'm going to go take a shower before we hit the road. I'll be down soon."

"April Kepner!" my mother hissed, her tone conveying her disappointment.

"Mom," I groaned. I cursed myself for ogling my ridiculously hot boyfriend in the elder Kepner's presence, but I was an adult, and everything I did in my personal life was not subject to my mother's opinion. "I know you want the best for me, but I have my relationship under control. Jackson knows that I'm waiting. He isn't forcing me to do anything."

"I'm not worried about him, April. It's you. You're the one who's wavering. I know that Jackson is very easy on the eyes, but I know that look. You want to break the boundaries that you've set, and that is not okay."

"Everything that happens in my relationship is between Jackson and I. You can't just insert yourself into it when you think I'm doing something wrong. I'm not a child, you can't protect me from everything. The rules have been set and we both respect it. My resolve is not crumbling." I think? I hopped off the couch, running to my room before my mother could get another word into the conversation. I crawled under the covers, searching for some security under my blanket. What did I just do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> Hey you guys. Sorry, I took so long to get another chapter posted. May was really crazy for me. There were AP testing and a lot of drama going on between me and another person that was taking up a lot of my time and energy. It had me in a place where I didn't want to be. It took a while to heal and sorta get back into my routine. Then finals happened, and I wanted to study for that instead of winging it like I normally do. This was hard to write not only because I was not in the right mindset, but because I also lost a little motivation when it came to writing. I'm doing better now, but just a psa, words carry weight, they hold meaning, even if you're just joking or you're not serious. They can and will hurt someone if you're not careful. So just be mindful about what you say to people and how you say it. It can make a huge difference. But, because I wasn't writing and I studied instead, I became a big baller and yeeted off with almost straight As. I went in with three Bs and came out with only one. AP Computer Science can go suck it. I don't want to be an engineer anyways so whatever. On the topic of teachers, this school year has been absolutely insane. My favorite teacher (one of them) is leaving the school, and I don't exactly know what to do because her presence sorta grounded me. She was like my on-campus mom. She told me that I need to write to her to keep her informed with what's going on with my life, but it's never going to be the same as an in-person conversation. I still have two other staff members that I'm really close to, but it really sucks that I'm losing her. Hope everybody's enjoying their summer so far, and as always, thank you for reading.


	18. Chapter 18

**Jackson**

"I want to take this off. I look stupid," Reed whined as we ate. Halloween was here, and the festivities were just beginning. The English department came together dressing like the ensemble from  _The Velveteen Rabbit_. The tenured teachers dressed as the various toys, but the main cast went to the freshman teachers. George was chosen to be the little boy, Izzie, the Nursery Magic Fairy, Reed, despite her protests, was forced to be the Skin Horse. April was chosen to be the famed velveteen rabbit. She wore a bunny onesie, the furry fabric sheathing her body. It came equipped with a hood sporting two long, floppy, rabbit ears, and a little poof on the rear for a tail. Her makeup reflected her costume as well with a black dot on her nose and three lines on each side for whiskers. She claimed it to be a little too hot while she was teaching, but she looked adorable in the furry suit. I, on the other hand, dressed as former President Barack Obama. It was low effort and easy to pull off since I already had a bunch of dress clothes in my closet, and it stuck with the theme Arizona gave me; Historical Figures. April giggled, a fuzzy paw covering her mouth as she smiled. "Shut up, furball." April's jaw dropped, eyes widened, and a look of mock hurt settled on her face.

"At least you weren't forced to dress like a little boy," George griped as he took a seat at the table. "The kids barely respect me as it is, this does not help."

"Awww. It's okay, George. At least the costume is cute," April comforted.

"I don't want to look cute." A petulant look overtook the man's features, enhancing the childish vibe of his costume.

"Quit your whining, Mr. O'Malley," Bailey chastised as she walked on by. "You should be glad that I didn't make you dress as the Nursery Magic Fairy."

"Yes, Ms. B. I'm sorry, Ms. B."

"Damn right." The stout woman strutted away, leaving us eating in silence.

"Yes, Ms. B. I'm sorry, Ms. B," Reed mocked with a pout.

"Shut up."

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Izzie greeted with a wave of her wand. Glitter flaked off of her costume as she walked. A chuckle spread through the table, leading us to laugh it off, moving on to school plans, and our favorite costumes of the day. Mine was a kid who dressed up as a zombie with an ax coming out of his head, and realistic brain matter and blood dripping down his face. Arizona swung by in her Sally Ride space cadet outfit to comment on how cute April looked, and how next year I needed to step up my game. I shrugged off the comment, I hadn't partaken in the costume tradition since I was a child, and there was no way that I would be buying anything just to wear once a year.

When the bell rang, we reluctantly parted ways to go back to class, but the faster the day ended, the faster basketball season began. I had been working with Mark for weeks organizing tournaments and cataloging all our equipment, things Mark felt were tedious but necessary. Announcements for tryouts had gone out this week, both online on the school's website and over the announcements. It sent me a little thrill every time I overheard a student tell their friends that they were going to try out.

The school day came to an end, and November rolled around, the trees barren and the weather cold and rainy, as always. There was something up with April, but I couldn't figure it out, or more like I didn't have the time to. Between grading, coaching, and planning for finals, April had fallen to the back burner. I apologized profusely for it, but she said that she understood that this was a busy season for me and that her workload had also increased in the past couple of weeks. Even though she was just as overworked as I was, she still made the time to come to every game, cheering on both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams.

Everything seemed to be normal, albeit a little more hectic, but the dates we managed to make time for were lighthearted and romantic. We talked about everything, though every time I mentioned her family, she promptly switched the topic. To top it off, she no longer melted into my touch like she used to, and instead was stiff like cardboard when I hugged her. I tied to pay no attention to it, but when she began to dodge my kisses, I knew that something was terribly wrong.

I mentally analyzed everything we did together, trying my best to pinpoint her the change in our relationship. I would say that it wasn't a lot, but seeing as we spend almost every day together at work, it was quite the endeavor. April, for the most part, was an easy read. Her eyes could tell no lies, but every time that I searched them for answers, I was only left with more questions than I started with. There was still the desire there that had been present for our entire relationship, but it seemed to be paired with control and restraint that was just beginning to emerge.

By late November, just a week shy of Thanksgiving, I decided that it had gone on for too long. I was her boyfriend, and while our relationship was steadily progressing, she was beginning to shut me out.

After one of our weekend rendezvouses, I decided to ask the question that had been on the tip of my tongue for weeks.

"April," I asked gently, "what's going on?" Her body was curled on one side of the couch while I sat on the other end. She avoided looking me in the eyes, but I reached over to tilt her chin to face me.

"Nothing, baby." A soft smile graced her features as she tried her best to end my inquisition.

"April," I pleaded, her eyes flickered to my lips, before darting back to my eyes, the desire to kiss me burning clearly in her hazel orbs, but the restraint she had displayed over the past couple of dates was still there. "Talk to me." My hand cupped her jaw, pulling her into me. In a split second, her lips were on mine with a forceful kiss, as her control snapped. Her hands tugged on my shoulders, pulling me closer to her. For the briefest moment, I lost myself in her taste, reveling in the feeling of her lips on mine before I focused on my goal and pushed her away. Her shoulders fell down, dejected as our lips broke apart.

"What are you doing? One day you don't want me to kiss you, the other you decide to jump me."

"Jackson," she begged brokenly. Her voice was tight, the recklessness that she hid away for weeks was coming through. When I didn't move away, she fell back into me, her hands clawing at my shoulders. My resolve to stop what was our first makeout session in months crumbled, my mind wondering how April managed to hold off for so long. Her lips cast a spell on me, drawing me in for more, and before I knew it, April maneuvered her way on top of me, our bodies pressed together. I grabbed at her, slipping a hand underneath her shirt to feel her smooth milk-white skin. She moaned into my mouth, so in a daring move, I gripped the soft chiffon of her loose blouse and pulled it off of her body to reveal her black lace trim bra. Her lips were back on mine before I had a moment to admire how etherial she looked, her lips puffed and red from the vigor she put into her kisses.

"Do you trust me?" I questioned when April pulled off my shirt, her hands running over the defined lines of my abdomen. She nodded, her copper-toned hair swaying in the air. I stood up off the couch, on arm under her for support, the other fisted in her hair. April let out a squeak of surprise, her legs tightening around my waist.

"Where are we going?" I gently sucked on her carotid, leaving a mark that would be there for days to come, then licking the column of her throat when I was done.

"You'll see." I walked down the hall to my room, pushing the door open before laying her down on my bed. I crawled over her, the tension in the room rising with each moment. "I want you, April." My face was inches from her, as I waited with bated breath for a sign that I should continue. Her pupils were fat with desire, as she licked her lips.

"I want you to," she rasped out after a moment. It was all I needed to continue with my exploration of her body. I spent a moment, with our tongues clashing before I moved down, attacking her neck with nips and gentle sucks. I laved over the red bruise I left earlier, her breath catching as I did so. April's arms rested on my shoulders, her nails digging down when I did something she liked.

After paying her neck enough attention, I trailed my finger down the middle of her torso, from her clavicle down the valley of her breast to the tip of her jeans. Her skin pinked up as her nerves got fired up, a smirk found its way onto my face at her body's reaction to me.

"Oh my god," April moaned, as I trailed kisses down her exposed torso. Her hair was fanned out around her head like a fiery halo, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. "Oh. My. God." My head snapped up, the repetition no longer drenched in pleasure like the first but filled with clarity and regret. I crawled back up her body, trying to gauge her facial expressions for what went wrong, but she shoved my shoulders, forcing me off her. April darted up and off my bed, muttering something about her mother was right, how we shouldn't - couldn't do what we were on the verge of completing. I asked her multiple times what she was talking about, but she was swimming in her thoughts, ignorant of my pleas to understand what was going on. Her face was filled with panic, her movements frenzied as she collected her discarded shirt from the floor of the living room, shoving it on, and left. The door closed with a soft thud, I sat on the cool hardwood, motionless as I heard the door softly slam shut.

I crumpled to the floor, staring at the door questioning what had just happened. It certainly wasn't our first argument, and I certainly hoped that it wouldn't be our last, but with her refusal to let me in so we could fix the problem together, she had shut me out with a whole lot of mixed signals. But while she was lost in her head, she had let something slip: her mother's words were what was causing the confusion she felt.

My phone buzzing on the coffee table pulled me out of my thoughts. I peeled myself off the floor and towards the vibrating device. Peeking at my illuminated screen, I noticed that it was my mother who was calling me and not my girlfriend.

"Mom," I greeted listlessly.

"Jackson. What is with that tone? Seattle not treating you kindly?" I sat up, moving to the couch, rubbing my tired features as I attempted to put up a cheery front.

"No, nope. Everything's good."

"Mhmm. Whatever you say, baby. I'm going to be in town for Thanksgiving. Do you have plans? With April, maybe?" I could tell she was fishing, but I was so exhausted that I couldn't care.

"I don't have anything planned. Why?"

"Oh. I just wanted to see if we could meet up for dinner."

"I don't know what's open on Thanksgiving, but I could check."

"How about April? Does she have any plans? I know that she doesn't have any family there in Seattle." Remembering what my mother did the last time she invited the two of us to dinner, I cringed offhanded matchmaking, although the two of us were a couple now, she didn't need to know that. Also, our status was slightly on the rocks given the earlier events of that night?

"I don't think she has anything planned, but I didn't ask her. I don't plan on doing so either."

"Fine. If you're not going to ask her, I will. Just send me her number. Goodnight, Jackson."

"Bye." I texted my mother April's contact information before dropping my phone to the couch.

If I knew April, I was sure that she would be avoiding me after this mess, so maybe, just this once, I could use a little help.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! I'm back. I know that I said that I was on a writing binge, but I started school again right after that. It was a summer program at yale, then I came back to Cali and I was enrolled in a course at the local community college (remind me why i decided to torture myself this summer?). Anyways, I'm popping by to drop this off. It's a little more risque than I normally write, but I've been binging romance novels this summer apparently. That and parenting books. I know. It's a weird combo. What I'm worried about is the interactions between Jackson and April in this fic. Like this chapter really ramped things up. Each chapter is getting increasingly harder to write as the relationship becomes more and more advanced. Like, I've never been in a relationship. Like I haven't even held hands with someone romantically (partially due to the fact that I'm a tiny bit of a germaphobe and really relish my personal space. also, cuz I don't really have anything going for me). Enough about me. Did you know that I was a part of the Children's Musical Theater version of The Velveteen Rabbit? I was a part of the ensemble. As I said earlier, I don't really have anything going for me. All I can say is that the theater industry is cutthroat. Like I know I was a kid, but the moms were vicious. They benched me bc I came 30 seconds late to rehearsal. Whatever. It wasn't for me. Anyways, let me know how I did with this, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Ciao!


End file.
